Michael Page continues to put himself in matchups in the combat sports face that leave the community a bit stunned.

“MVP” will face former WEC welterweight champion and UFC interim titleholder Carlos Condit in the headliner of Saturday’s Polaris 30 grappling card in London. The event streams exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.

The longtime Bellator star, now UFC welterweight, is ready to add more exciting things to his résumé.

“I’d like to leave a legacy of being a true martial artist, like I can go wherever the fight takes me and be competitive in those areas.” Page told MMA Fighting. “It’s definitely a fun that I seem to blindside a lot of people all the time and just pick out these random things. But yeah, I’m excited for this one.”

Page made his UFC debut at UFC 299 in March, defeating Kevin Holland via unanimous decision. “Venom” went on to face the undefeated Ian Machado Garry at UFC 303 in June and lost a close decision in a fight many believed was Garry’s toughest to date. The 37-year-old had plans to add to his martial arts arsenal prior to competing at International Fight Week, and after sharing that time in the octagon with Garry, it became a no-brainer.

How did Page get matched up with Condit? It wasn’t the original plan.

“So after my last fight — in fact, before my last fight — I was already saying to myself, I wanted to take a little bit of time out just to focus on grappling,” Page explained. “And then after the last fight, I was like, yeah, 100 percent, I really want to just focus on the grappling side of things. And then a friend of mine is good friends with one of the fight organizers and fight matchmakers of Polaris, and he just mentioned it obviously, well he’s from my gym and he just mentioned it to say like, ‘Oh yeah, if you’re going to do that, would you be interested in doing this [in] Polaris?’

“I was like, ‘Actually, yeah, gives me something to work towards as well as just improving my jiu-jitsu. So that’s how they initially started and they actually end up speaking to the matchmaker. Initially, it was supposed to be Donald Cerrone, actually. … and then he kind of went dark so I’m not sure what happened on his side, but they said, just in case, let’s look for some other people because the responses are not coming anymore, and then obviously Carlos, his name came up and it’s like, yeah, another great match, just a beast in the game, someone that I respect as well, I’ve watched before. and I thought, yeah, still another great fight. A great match up, and now we’re here.”

Condit retired from MMA after dropping a decision to Max Griffin at UFC 264 in July 2021. “Natural Born Killer” competed in 24 UFC/WEC bouts, winning the WEC welterweight title in March 2007, and then defending in three times before moving over to the UFC. Condit captured the interim UFC welterweight belt with a victory over Nick Diaz at at UFC 143 in February 2012 before losing via unanimous decision to Georges St-Pierre nine months later at UFC 154 in the Fight of the Night.

The fan-friendly fighter would get one more crack at UFC gold, losing a controversial split decision to Robbie Lawler at UFC 195 in January 2016 in MMA Fighting’s Fight of the Year.

For Page, sharing the mat with Condit will be an honor, and the result is not as important as what the encounter will mean in his martial arts journey.

“In all honesty, it’s just the experience, full stop,” Page said. “One aspect of my game that I want to improve on is the grappling — but not in the way, maybe, people might think. I feel the space I want to improve on is the grappling under the lights. It’s very different. Now, I grapple regularly in the gym, and I have been for many years and I love grappling. I actually do love jiu-jitsu.

“Obviously, when I’m fighting, I don’t care to take it to a place that I am weaker than in terms of my strengths — [which] is my striking — so it’s not a place I want to take it to. But I really do enjoy jiu-jitsu. I do find here’s been a few matches where I get to a certain spaces of grappling and I end up being in like a conscious state of, ‘Oh yeah, I should do this now, I should do that,’ and you can’t fight in a fight being conscious like that. It has to be drilled, it has to be subconscious, you have to be reactive, otherwise you are 10-20 steps behind. If you’re having to go through a thought process because they’ve moved on, they’ve moved on.

“So it’s that side. That’s why Polaris has really intrigued me because I was like, ‘Actually it allows me to train my BJJ, but then also experience it under the lights with people watching and with that pressure. So I really want to just do that. That’s the only experience I want to take away from it. Other than that, like I said, I just love being a martial artist and just showing my skills in every aspect.”

UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad disagrees with Shavkat Rakhmonov’s idea for an interim title fight while sidelined with an injury, but he can also see an upside.

Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) was set to defend his recently acquired title for the first time in the UFC 310 main event against undefeated contender Shavkat Rakhmonov. However, a toe infection forced the champ out of the Dec. 7 date at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

When the issue arose, Muhammad hoped to avoid a delay from action, but he says a doctor told him the infection was aggressive and needed immediate surgery. According to Muhammad, the doctor told him he caught the problem at the right time and, as a result, would be able to recover quickly.

While Muhammad is on the sideline, the UFC still needs to fill the void of a main event for UFC 310. Rakhmonov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) wants an interim title fight against another worthy challenger.

“I could see them trying to do something with Shavkat, but he’s calling for an interim title fight,” Muhammad said on “Remember the Show.” “It’s like, interim title fight? Bro, it’s six weeks, not six months that I’m off. But even for myself, if they wanted to do that just to make it a main event, I mean, I don’t really care about it if they want to make an interim title fight regardless, because they know who has the real belt. So for me, I know who my next opponent is going to be.”

While Muhammad can see the upside to having an interim title fight in his absence, he’s unsure if an opponent is available that makes sense. If Muhammad’s timeline for his return is accurate, he will be ready for a fight early in 2025, which would be Rakhmonov’s fight if he would be willing to wait a little longer.

Ian Machado Garry and Joaquin Buckley threw their names in the hat for the potential replacement fight. However, they have been booked to face each other in the main event of UFC on ESPN 63 in Tampa, Fla., on Dec. 14.

Former champ Kamaru Usman is available, but he and Rakhmonov share the same training room. Jack Della Maddalena is also hovering around the top of the division, but rumors are that he’s not healthy.

From a preparation standpoint, Muhammad can understand why Rakhmonov would want to keep the same date, even if he’s torn on the idea of an interim title fight.

“It really doesn’t (make sense), but it’s one of those where it’s like – when you’re in the middle of camp, it’s hard, because we were like six weeks left,” Muhammad said. “So I can understand him, he’s like, ‘Bro, I want to fight.’ That’s the only part: him and Usman are like training partners, and you guys been in the gym with each other right now. Were you guys looking at each other? Watching each other? It’s just weird.”

The promotion could also go outside the division for a main event switch up at UFC 310. UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev exchanged phone emojis on social media, essentially asking the UFC to make the fight happen.

“I wonder who they would do,” Muhammad said. “If it’s not Pereira and Ankalaev, I don’t see it being (Dricus) Du Plessis, I don’t see it being, I mean, (Zhang) Weili is always up there, but I don’t see them trying to throw that one in the mix. We’ll see what Hunter (Campbell) and Dana (White) do, right? They’re the best.”

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – Daniel Cormier didn’t mince words when asked about Rinat Fakhredinov’s recent comments toward the commentary team at UFC 308.

Fakhredinov (23-1-1 MMA, 5-0-1 UFC) won a controversial unanimous decision over Carlos Leal in their welterweight bout at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi. Cormier, who was on the commentary duty for the event, firmly disagreed with the decision.

“Really bad commentators,” Fakhredinov said during a post-fight news conference at UFC 308. “… First round was pretty close. It could’ve gone either way. I didn’t have any doubt the second or third round was mine. After your words, people will say again the Arabs bought the decision.”

During a Q&A session prior to the UFC Fight Night 246 ceremonial weigh-ins, Cormier was asked about Fakhredinov’s comments, and didn’t hold back his opinion.

“I don’t know what this dude was talking about,” Cormier said. “I’m serious. Listen bro, he lost. I don’t care how many times he complains – and that’s the thing. These fighters, they go and they fight. It was so clear that the guy lost the fight. He gets a microphone and he goes and sticks his foot in his mouth. That’s the problem. He’s a moron, and he just needs to recognize he lost.”

Every media member who submitted a scorecard to MMA Decisions scored the fight in favor of Leal (21-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC). In fact, most of them scored every round for Leal, who walked away with a loss in his promotional debut.

While the official result prevented Fakhretdinov from recording his first loss in the UFC, Cormier believes that he was “gifted” a win by the cageside judges, and should just quietly accept the result.

“Take it. Just take it,” Cormier said. “You got gifted a win. Take it. Just take it and keep your head tucked down until you fight somebody next time.”

A former Welsh football referee has said the abuse he received on the job made him “question if it was worth it”.

Sean Regan, who spent six months in the profession before quitting, said there was “a real culture problem”.

The 40-year-old added: “I don’t think we can be proud to be involved in football.”

It comes as a committee of grassroots referees have refused to officiate games this weekend and two leagues in Cardiff have postponed matches in solidarity with them.

Cardiff Combination League and Lazarou Cardiff Sunday League have agreed to postpone their games, while Cardiff and District league have left the decision on whether to play up to individual teams.

Mr Regan, who was a sports lecturer and a football coach before pivoting to refereeing, said he initially thought it would be a good opportunity.

But the “atrocious” behaviour of players towards him brought him to breaking point.

“It didn’t surprise me because the coaching staff had very poor behaviour, towards their own players, officials and the opposition,” he said.

“In one match, one of their lads came up to me and said ‘if you keep calling fouls, he [teammate] is going to smack you’.

“It just made me think ‘if somebody hit me what am I supposed to do?’”

Mr Regan said although he enjoyed officiating, he did not want to feel like he was in a “fight or flight position”.

“I don’t regret leaving because it was the right decision, but I regret feeling like I had to,” he said.

The referees strike will impact matches in the three leagues across 2 and 3 November.

Despite the knock-on effect on matches getting played, many players have also supported the cause.

Evan Emer, a player for CPD Treganna – a team that plays in the Cardiff Combination league – said players were “obviously frustrated”, but added: “If the health and safety of the referees is being challenged and if they don’t feel safe doing their job it is difficult to contest.

“Frankly, I’m not surprised that it’s come to this.”

Other players were not sure the strike would make a difference.

Cobi Flowers of Cardiff Sparta – a team in the Cardiff and District league – said change needed to “come from above”.

Both Cardiff Combination and Lazarou Sunday League have postponed all fixtures this weekend in support of the referees, but some Cardiff and District league games are still going ahead.

The Lazarou League said it would “support the stance by the Referee Society”, while the Cardiff Combination Football League (CCFL) said it did “not condone either violence toward or, abuse of referees” but wanted to give all referees the choice on whether or not to participate in the action.