How will 'Venom' Michael Page's first UFC opponent determine his pay? Bellator's 'Big' John McCarthy and 'The Punk' answer

Michael Page has been one of the hottest MMA prospects outside of UFC for several years. Now, the former Bellator fighter is rumored to be gearing up for a stint at the premier promotion.

A big name such as Page is sure to draw in a lot of eyes; hence, he is expected to be well-paid for his services. However, former UFC fighter 'The Punk' Josh Thomson and legendary MMA referee 'Big' John McCarthy believe Venom's debut opponent should clearly indicate how well he is being compensated.

During a recent episode of the WEIGHING IN podcast, the duo discussed who the highly touted welterweight will face during his potential UFC debut and how it relates to his payday. Thomson said:

"Let's say he comes in and fights right away, he fights Kamaru Usman. That's going to let you know how much money they paid him."

McCarthy also chimed in, stating that Page is sure to have negotiated a big payday if he faces Usman, Belal Muhammad, or Gilbert Burns on his debut.

According to 'The Punk', if the former Bellator fighter faces anyone outside of the welterweight top 5 in his debut, that would be an indicator that the Bellator star is yet to negotiate a championship-level fight purse:

"If he gets into the Sean Brady, the Geoff Neal, even the Stephen Thompson means that they gave him good money, but it's still okay look, I'll give you one fight at this purse, and then when you get to the top 5, I'll give you the other fights at this purse."

Catch Josh Thompson and John McCarthy's comments about Michael Page below (1:28:30):

---

Michael Page wants a top-ranked contender for his potential UFC debut

After years of being one of Bellator's most popular stars, Michael Page is rumored to be UFC-bound in the twilight years of his career. However, The 36-year-old is not looking for easy fights and wants at least a top-10 fighter in his potential UFC debut.

In a recent segment of FREESTYLEBENDER, 'Venom' explained that he expects to be treated similarly to former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler, who was paired up with a top 10 contender on his UFC debut:

"I want top 5, top 10 max. I don't need to prove myself all over again... We've seen it with the likes of Michael Chandler. He went in there, he fought... I think he was top 10 at the time, Dan Hooker. Great first win for him that sprung him into title contention."

Catch Michael Page's comments below (15:31):