Footage of a confrontation between Michael ‘Venom’ Page and the unbeaten Afghan fighter Farid Basharat has appeared online.
It was claimed by former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, who had travelled to Manchester for the event, that there had been a fracas at the fighter hotel between “two individuals,” saying: “There was a scuffle in the lobby between two individuals. One was definitely a fighter, but I’m not sure about the other. It looked like a punch was thrown, and things got heated. Security was all over it, but I tried to step in and diffuse the situation.
“The guy I tried to hold onto was quite slippery. Despite my efforts, he managed to evade me and a few other security guards. It was quite a scene, with everyone scrambling to control the situation. I almost lost my balance as we tumbled down the stairs,” Volkanovski said.
And per the footage, which you can see below, you can see that recent UFC signee ‘MVP’ was involved in the incident with the Afghan-born English fighter Farid Basharat; a fighter who is 3-0 in the UFC (12-0 overall).
Michael Venom Page and Farid Basharat revealed as the two fighters who got into an altercation at the fighter hotel after #UFC304, and a video shows Alex Volkanovski attempting to stop the altercation by shooting for a takedown. 😅🍿 #UFCManchester
pic.twitter.com/prRaJ2SFgc— Parry Punch (@ParryPunchNews) July 31, 2024
There is as of yet no explanation for the scuffle, particularly given there is no realistic chance of them competing against one another (‘MVP’ is a welterweight, Basharat is a bantamweight).
Page is 22-3 in his professional career, and 1-1 in the UFC. He was defeated by unanimous decision at June’s UFC 303 card by Irish welterweight Ian Machado Garry.