A major middleweight showdown has just been added to the lineup for UFC 319 later this summer, as former UFC title challenger Jared Cannonier is set to face former Bellator standout Michael “Venom” Page.
Cannonier (18-8 MMA, 11-8 UFC) last competed in February, when the 41-year-old scored a fourth-round knockout over Brazilian contender Gregory “Robocop” Rodrigues in the main event at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. That win snapped a two-fight skid for Cannonier, who had previously suffered losses to Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho earlier in 2024.
Cannonier’s most successful stretch in the UFC came between 2018 and 2022, during which he won five of six bouts and earned a title shot against then-champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 276. Although he was outpointed over five rounds by “The Last Stylebender,” Cannonier has remained a top contender in the middleweight division, with notable victories over Sean Strickland and Marvin Vettori.
On the other side of the matchup, Michael Page (23-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) made the jump to the UFC last year after a decade with Bellator. He made an immediate impact with an impressive debut win over Kevin Holland, which earned him a marquee matchup against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 303 in June. After falling short against the Irish prospect, “MVP” moved up to 185 pounds for his most recent outing, where he secured a dominant decision victory over Shara “Bullet” Magomedov at UFC Saudi Arabia in February.
At the time, it was believed that Page’s foray into the middleweight ranks would be a one-off before returning to 170 pounds, where he remains ranked inside the top 15. However, this upcoming clash with Cannonier suggests that Page may be considering a longer stay in the middleweight division.
UFC 319 is set to take place at United Center in Chicago, Illinois on August 16th. The event will be headlined by a middleweight title fight between Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev.
