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Last week, in front of his home crowd in London, MVP delivered what many are calling the most lackluster performance of his career against unranked star Sam Patterson. Just how underwhelming was it? Reports say UFC CEO Dana White left the arena during the fight and did not return. Then, after the bout, during the post-fight press conference, White slammed the fight as a “bad fight.” Despite this, Page still received his reward.

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Recently, veteran MMA journalist Jon Morgan shared the latest UFC rankings on X. With three consecutive wins under his belt, Michael “Venom” Page improved slightly, moving up one spot to No. 12.

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“Despite his frustrations following #UFCLondon, @Michaelpage247 does get a small bump in the official welterweight rankings, pushing up one spot to No. 12,” Morgan wrote on X.

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In the rest of the division, the rankings remained unchanged, with Jack Della Maddalena and Ian Garry holding the 1 and 2 spots. However, ‘Venom’ pushed Uros Medic to 13th, surprising some fans who felt he deserved a larger jump. In the UFC London fight, both fighters landed fewer than 40 significant strikes combined, with MVP accounting for 27 of them.

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Heading into the fight, MVP already held grievances against the promotion. The Brit criticized Dana White and Co. for how they managed his career. Before UFC London, Michael Page last fought in August on the UFC 319: Chimaev vs. DDP undercard. Since then, six months passed without a fight, which he felt wasted his prime at 38 years old.

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Moreover, MVP argued that the promotion failed to schedule him a welterweight fight, even though he wanted to continue competing at 170 pounds, despite winning his last two fights against middleweight opponents like Shara Magomedov and Jared Cannonier. Months later, UFC finally booked him for UFC London, but the promotion annoyed MVP again by matching him with Sam Patterson, a former teammate and unranked fighter.

The promotion added to the sense of disrespect by putting Luke Riley vs. Michael Aswell Jr. as the co-main event, which consequently pushed Page vs. Patterson to a lower spot, even though Riley has only two UFC fights. As a result, the frustrated Brit walked out to Michael Jackson’s “They Don’t Really Care About Us” and openly expressed his frustration after the fight.

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“I think the main one for me was the fact that they put a young kid, who is super talented but has only had one fight in the UFC, as a co-main event. I felt disrespected,” Michael Page admitted.

Still, UFC and MVP are now even, as the promotion gave him an unranked former teammate, and in return, MVP delivered the lackluster showdown. For many fans, the MVP vs Patterson fight brought back memories of the infamous UFC 226 bout between Francis Ngannou and Derrick Lewis in 2018, where the fighters landed only 31 strikes, and fans booed heavily for a lackluster performance.

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Looking ahead, Venom promises to return stronger and dominate in his next fight. With that settled, let’s examine the other developments following the UFC London event.

The latest changes in UFC rankings after the London event

Outside of the welterweight division, UFC mostly kept the rankings unchanged. The event featured 13 blockbuster fights that promised fireworks, but the mixed prelims card, unfortunately, failed to generate the expected hype.

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Still, the main card grabbed the spotlight, from Michael Page’s welterweight fight to the featherweight headline clash between Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy in a title eliminator. In the five-round battle, the judges raised Evloev’s hand, though some called the decision controversial.

The outcome did not affect the 145-pound rankings: Evloev stays at No. 1, while Murphy holds No. 3. Meanwhile, in the middleweight division, Christian Leroy Duncan broke into the top 15 and now sits at No. 12, while Roman Dolidze dropped four spots to No. 15.

On the women’s pound-for-pound list, Manon Fiorot pushed Mackenzie Dern out of the top 5, while Tatiana Suarez replaced Virna Jandiroba at No. 11.

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That covers all the updates post-UFC London. What’s your take on the latest UFC rankings? Drop your take below.

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Written by

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Ishan Yadav

2,813 Articles

Ishan Yadav is a Senior UFC Writer at EssentiallySports and a key member of the Breaking News team known for his sharp post-fight coverage and insightful analysis. With a strong editorial instinct and high fight IQ, he skillfully balances the fans' perspective with technical breakdowns to deliver engaging content that resonates throughout the MMA community. His thoughtful takes have gained recognition on platforms like Reddit and from industry insiders, which helped him earn a place in EssentiallySports’ prestigious Journalistic Excellence Program (JEP), our flagship initiative that focuses on refining journalistic skills, enhancing analytical thinking, and deepening sports journalism knowledge through mentorship from seasoned industry veterans. Ishan’s background as a law graduate adds depth to his reporting. He also practiced law after enrolling in the Bar Council. Currently, Ishan is pursuing a Master of Laws in Banking, Corporate, Finance, and Securities Law, and continues to follow his passion for the sport of combat.

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Ashvinkumar Nilkanth Patil

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