UFC’s Michael Page targets Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman next

LONDON – Michael Page wants his next fight to be against an elder statesman of the UFC welterweight division.

Page (23-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC), who’s coming off a unanimous decision victory over Shara Magomedov at UFC Fight Night 250 in February in a one-off bout at middleweight, is looking to make a return to welterweight.

MVP sees matchups against former 170-pound champion Kamaru Usman or controversial longtime contender Colby Covington as ideal options.

“I haven’t a clue (what’s next), but everyone seems silent at the moment,” Page said at a UFC fan Q&A on Friday at The O2. “I don’t know if that last fight has worried a few people, but everyone seems a bit silent. There’s many names out there.

“I think me and Usman would be a good fight. I want to punch Colby in his face for some reason. I don’t know why. There’s guys out there. I’m just waiting for them to respond to the call.”

Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) hasn’t competed since a majority decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev in a short-notice middleweight bout in a October 2023. He is currently on a three-fight losing skid, but has teased a return to competition this year.

Covington (17-5 MMA, 12-5 UFC) is one of the most polarizing figures in MMA. It’s a matchup that interest “Venom” a lot, and one that he’d like to finish in the same manner as his Bellator fight against “Cyborg” Santos – a famous skull crushing TKO.

“I’m hoping for a repeat of a jumping knee to the face,” Page said. “You all saw how that went, so I’m hoping that way.”

As far as the timeline, the 37-year-old Page is looking to stay as active as possible, he said. The Brit would like to get back in the octagon as soon as possible.

“If I can get two more fights in (this year) that would be great,” Page said. “I’m trying to get one as soon as possible. There’s shows in May that I want to be on, and again at the end of the year. So two more fights, definitely.”