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Michael 'Venom' Page and three other well-known Bellator stars' names appeared on the UFC's official website. Following that, many began speculating that the fighters had joined the UFC.
The three fighters, other than Michael 'Venom' Page, are former Bellator featherweight champion AJ McKee, former Bellator lightweight champion Patricky 'Pitbull' Freire, and former Bellator lightweight champion and current Bellator featherweight champion Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire.
As seen below, the "@mmamania" Twitter account tweeted an image and a statement suggesting that the four aforementioned fighters' names appeared on the UFC's website.
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Earlier this year, UFC president Dana White scoffed at the rumors of PFL potentially buying Bellator. Some fans have now suggested that White might have convinced the UFC owners to acquire the MMA promotion. Many fans were seemingly shocked at the rumors of the UFC having potentially bought Bellator.
One fan tweeted:
"Did ufc buy bellator?"
Some fans indicated that major MMA organizations such as PFL, ONE Championship, and Bellator could merge to compete against the UFC, or the latter could simply bring all organizations within its fold. One fan insinuated that all top MMA fighters being in the UFC would be great news for MMA fans.
Other fans opined that Bellator fighters being added to the UFC would tremendously benefit the different UFC weight classes:
"If this is true then the ufc's roster just got more in those divisions."
One Twitter user alluded that Michael 'Venom' Page appeared on The MMA Hour earlier tonight and confirmed that he's no longer with Bellator, which could mean he's signed with the UFC. Alternatively, some fans noted that the names added to the UFC's website could be a prank.
Others highlighted that the fighter records for Michael 'Venom' Page and the other Bellator stars aren't listed correctly on the UFC's website, and the website isn't displaying some of their names anymore:
"Searched AJ McKee and Michael Page. No go."
Some of the fan reactions to the rumors of UFC buying Bellator have been displayed below:
Is a Michael 'Venom' Page UFC run on the horizon?
Kickboxing veteran and MMA striking savant Michael 'Venom' Page was featured on tonight's edition of The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani. Page shed light upon the development that he's no longer a part of Bellator.
One of the most well-known stars to ever compete in Bellator MMA, Michael 'Venom' Page added that he's open to business with other organizations. That said, it's unclear whether he has signed with the UFC.
As for AJ McKee and Patricky 'Pitbull' Freire, the pair are set to fight one another in a quarterfinal bout of the Bellator Lightweight World Grand Prix at Bellator MMA x Rizin 2 on July 30, 2023. Moreover, Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire recently lost to Bellator bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis. McKee and the Pitbull brothers' potential move to the UFC remains shrouded in mystery.
