Ufc Felder
ABU DHABI – Paul Felder is looking forward to getting behind the mic for the first UFC pay-per-view event of 2021, even though one of the main event combatants has taken pot-shots at him in the past.
Nov 10, 2020 Top UFC lightweight contender Paul Felder was praised by the MMA community on Monday after it was announced that he was stepping in on five days notice to fight former lightweight champion Rafael. UFC Vegas 14: Paul Felder Preps For Short-Notice Main Event Stepping in on five days notice, Paul Felder prepares for a main event lightweight bout against Rafael Dos Anjos. Jan 14, 2021 Felder’s role as fight analyst at UFC 257 will see him cross paths with Conor McGregor, who has taken issue with the Philadelphia native’s fighting moniker, “The Irish Dragon,” on social media in.
Felder’s role as fight analyst at UFC 257 will see him cross paths with Conor McGregor, who has taken issue with the Philadelphia native’s fighting moniker, “The Irish Dragon,” on social media in the past.
Chatting to reporters, including MMA Junkie, during a media session on “UFC Fight Island,” Felder said he hoped the jibes won’t return when he and McGregor cross paths during their respective fight week obligations.
“I was talking to my producer,” he said. “We’re going to have to do fighter meetings, and hopefully we can get through that without any German comments.”
When quizzed about how it all started, Felder shrugged, grinned, and recounted a story he admitted he takes no enjoyment from telling.
“My last name is German, right? My dad’s side … I hate talking about this!” he laughed. “I know I’m not Irish. I’m not German. I’m not Italian. I’m not Swedish. I’m American. I get that.
“I also did not give myself ‘The Irish Dragon’ nickname. As a matter of fact, I fought against it for the first few fights of my pro career, because I freaking hated it. I thought it was stupid. It got put together because I did karate (and) Lyoto Machida was one of my favorite fighters – ‘The Dragon’ – and then this guy was like, ‘You’re Irish – The Irish Dragon,’ and he started saying it on a YouTube video. CFFC got a hold of it when I was fighting for them. They just called me that for one fight, and it stuck. So I’m not trying to claim any heritage and this and that. Obviously, I’m of Irish descent. You can take one look at me.”
Felder’s been happy to just go with the flow and accept his given nickname, but when McGregor took aim at him on social media for his fighting moniker, Felder said he actually understood why, though he insisted he’s not changing his label anytime soon.
“He’s poked fun at me on social media and then deletes them,” Felder said. “I think he’s just (expletive) with me, to be honest, you know? He’s like that. He’s not an idiot. He’ll poke at anybody in case … you climb the ranks, and you’re next. He’s like that.
“I know why (McGregor called me out) because I’m calling myself ‘The Irish Dragon’ and he’s like, ‘Well, your last name is German, so what the hell are you talking about?’ So if I ever had to fight him, maybe I’d come out as ‘The German Dragon’ for that one. But it’s all good, and I don’t think that’s going to come up in fighter meetings, but we shall see.”
When this week started, Paul Felder didn’t know if he’d ever step foot inside the UFC octagon again – but Saturday, he’ll do just that.
Accepting a five-round fight against a former UFC lightweight champion on five days’ notice isn’t common among MMA fighters. However, Felder (17-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) will step in to meet Rafael dos Anjos in the UFC Fight Night 182 main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas – a bout he accepted Monday after Islam Makhachev’s withdrawal.
“I thought about it, and I decided with everything going on in the world and all the sad things going on in people’s lives and losing their jobs and suffering, and we just lost Alex freaking Trebek to pancreatic cancer, I was like, ‘Man, you know you’re still 36. You’re young. You’re in shape. Save the date. Let’s go get paid. Let’s have fun. You’re fighting a legend,'” Felder said in an interview with ESPN late Monday night. “What do I have to lose?”
The timing couldn’t have been better for Felder. Usually walking around near 200 pounds, Felder slimmed down in recent weeks in preparation for an upcoming triathlon. While he’s not in lightweight territory quite yet, Felder revealed he has to cut between 14 and 23 pounds before Friday’s official weigh-ins.
Ufc Felder Vs
“I’m well under (180),” Felder said. “I’m in the (170s). I’ll give you that. I’m in the 70s. With some time and water-loading and dehydration, I’ll be fine.”
So why not take a catchweight? Both Felder and dos Anjos (30-13 MMA, 18-11 UFC) have competed at welterweight in the past, though they reside mostly at 155 pounds. According to Felder, dos Anjos was focused on making his mark at lightweight and made it a set-in-stone stipulation the fight would take place there.
“I think he really wants to be fighting the top guys at 155 to make his comeback and give himself a chance,” Felder said. “Obviously, we talked about catchweights. But I know with main events, if possible, they like to keep it at the weight class. That was one of the things: ‘Do you think you can make it?’ It’s not going to be fun, but I’m going to make it.”
Ufc Felder Vs Dos Anjos
Unlike many other last-minute main event changes, Felder vs. dos Anjos remains a five-round fight. Felder indicated he was enthused by the decision to keep the fight scheduled for the full 25 minutes.
“I like five-round fights,” Felder said. “If you’re going to do a main event, I want to do it right. That’s what he’s been scheduled to do. Yeah, five rounds. I’m excited to do another five rounds, especially with somebody like RDA. This is an experience. We’re going to see. My brain is fresh. My body is fresh. I’m not taking beatings in sparring like I normally do, but I’m still staying technically sharp and staying very fit, so we’ll see.”
Having openly contemplated MMA retirement recently, Felder views the fight as a no-lose situation. The opportunity to further his brand is there, should he win, and the risk – should he lose – is low.
“I know I’m nearing the end of my career soon,” Felder said. “This, I think it’s win-win for me because if I go in there and I can finish and beat RDA, a former champ, then it gives me a lot of selling points to be getting these bigger fights, which seem to be eluding me at the top five of the lightweight division here in the UFC. How do you not give me something big after this if I go in there after stepping up? And, if it doesn’t go my way, then I saved the day. I’m going in there to try to win, so we’ll see.”
Ufc Felder Vs Barboza
Still, Felder said there’s a greater chance he retires with a victory than a loss. A win allows him to sail off into the sunset, whereas a loss will reinvigorate his need to prove himself.
“I say 50-50 (this is my last fight),” Felder said. “I was thinking about that. What a way to just be like, ‘Boom. Mic drop.’ So, yeah, (the odds of retirement) probably do increase (if I win). If I lose, then I might want to have to get back in there for one more. It might eat away at me just like the (Dan) Hooker fight did. I was ready to move on and then it’s like, you still haven’t proven quite what I’m capable of.”
Ufc Felder Vs
Ufc Felder Vs
UFC Fight Night 182 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+.