The still brief UFC career of Michael ‘Venom’ Page has shown him that he must adapt his style if he is to succeed. 

So far, the former Bellator standout has won two decisions (Shara Bullet and Kevin Holland) against a single loss (Ian Machado Garry) but the type of finish befitting his flashy style has so far eluded him.

At this weekend’s UFC 319 event in Chicago, MVP will seek to score his 24th career win when he takes on the veteran former title challenger Jared Cannonier as he continues at 185-pounds after fighting his first two UFC contests at welterweight (the weight class in which he competed in his previous home).

And faced with a different type of challenge, Page said this week that he knows he must be more active if he is to prosper in a bigger weight class.

“I have to have way more output compared to when I fight at welterweight,” MVP told reporters, including The Mac Life, on Wednesday in Chicago.

“At welterweight, I’m a sniper. I wait for the right moment, land my shot, then wait again for another opening. In the middleweight division, I have to be more aggressive, stay on the front foot, throw combinations, then get back out. I can’t rely on landing just one perfect shot and hoping it ends things, because these guys are naturally bigger. Jared, for example, even came down from heavyweight.”

He was keen to note, however, that his time at 170-pounds isn’t over.

“My heart is still there,” he said of the welterweight fold. “The UFC has so many talented fighters across the roster, and there are great fights at middleweight too. I’m not taking anything away from those guys. You just had an absolute beast speak to you on stage, so there are big matchups to be had here. But maybe because I’ve been at welterweight longer and studied more of the fighters there, that’s the division and those are the fights I really want.

“After my last fight, I was expecting a big matchup, but the fight I was offered didn’t make sense based on what I’d just done. I decided to wait for someone worthwhile to become available, because the fight they offered was against someone ranked in the 20s. I’d just beaten one of their prospects. I wanted an exciting fight.

“I kept asking, but didn’t hear back. I started calling people out — still nothing. Then I said, ‘Give me someone at middleweight,’ and suddenly names came in quickly. Jared was one of those names. He’s obviously a big guy, but there’s a puzzle there I’m interested in solving.”

See above for Michael ‘Venom’ Page’s full comments from media day.