Dana White had already left the arena before Michael Page earned his decision victory on Saturday night at the O2 Arena. The three-round clash with former training partner Sam Patterson resulted in minimal action, that left fans disappointed.
Joe Rogan, a long-time UFC commentator, can only recall one fight that was worse than this one. However, his assessment may not capture the full picture, as evidenced by the following insights.
Joe Rogan attributes what many consider possibly the worst fight of 2026 to the UFC matchmakers. On Saturday night, Michael “Venom” Page narrowly defeated Sam Patterson at UFC London, in a contest that many fans deemed one of the year’s most disappointing. The fight drew immediate criticism from viewers, yet Rogan suggests that the blame lies not with the fighters but with those who arranged the bout.
It’s perplexing that the matchmakers didn’t consider the fighters’ prior relationship when scheduling this fight. Rogan mentioned on his Fight Companion podcast during the second round.
“They didn’t think, ‘These guys are training partners; this might be a stinker.’ Maybe it’s that no one wanted to fight Venom Page in London. That could be a problem too. Perhaps a lot of fighters declined, and Patterson stepped up.”
While Page and Patterson are not full-time training partners, they do share considerable experience from past training sessions. Page had brought Patterson into his camp to prepare for previous opponents. Despite their familiarity, both fighters accepted the bout; in hindsight, this decision proved questionable.
It became increasingly evident that the fight was lacking in action. Rogan couldn’t hide his disdain.
“This might be the least action of any fight ever, next to Derrick Lewis and Francis Ngannou. This is crazy bad. That’s a crazy bad fight.” He elaborated, “It’s literally the last guy you want to fight with a style like that, someone who understands it. Don’t you want excitement? Don’t you want it to be real?”
Rogan speculated that fighters may be hesitant to face Page due to his ability to make opponents look foolish, while Patterson, familiar with Page, felt confident enough to accept the challenge. Unfortunately for Patterson, this loss halted a four-fight winning streak and added his name to the list of fighters involved in one of the most forgettable matchups in recent memory. Rogan also expressed concern for Page, noting that although he won, he gained little from the experience and may have even lost some respect.
“I think it’s bad for him,” Rogan remarked. “It’s not good. But now people know how to fight him. They’ll watch this and think, ‘Oh, just don’t engage. Make him engage.'”
MMA fans were far from enthusiastic when Michael Page was announced as the winner of his bout at UFC London, and Dana White weighed in as well. Page faced Sam Patterson on the main card, but he didn’t do himself any favors with what many considered a lackluster performance despite winning by unanimous decision.
During the post-fight press conference, White shared his thoughts on Page’s showing and the negative fan reaction. “I mean, I didn’t think it was a great fight either,” White admitted. “It was a bad fight. He won, so we’ll see what’s next.”
Page has now extended his winning streak to three fights, but his future matchmaking remains uncertain following the Patterson bout. He expressed frustration about the fight backstage.
“It’s frustrating. It’s not the kind of win I wanted. It’s getting more and more difficult when nobody wants to engage. Everyone’s on the back foot. It feels like it’s far more challenging to fight someone who doesn’t want to fight than to face a difficult opponent who does.”
Known for his highlight-reel finishes, Page faces criticism that if he doesn’t secure those explosive knockouts, his fights often fail to meet expectations. Whether the UFC matchmakers will provide Page with an opponent more willing to engage remains to be seen.
