Paul Felder has been enjoying life as a commentator and triathlete since his retirement. Felder has been mainly seen in the fight night commentary booths and has received rave reviews for his commentary.
However, a recent post on X (formerly Twitter) from The Schmo, a.k.a. Dave Schmulenson, has shed light on Felder’s plans for the future. The Irish Dragon last fought at UFC Fight Night 182 against a former UFC lightweight champion.
Paul Felder eyeing UFC 300 return
Former UFC lightweight contender Paul Felder is rumored to make a comeback in the UFC. Felder is currently an analyst and commentator for ESPN and UFC respectively and has enjoyed considerable success in both. Moreover, he is also an active participant in triathlons.
Paul Felder has taken a significant step towards a potential return by entering the USADA testing pool after more than two years away from fighting. The Schmo confirmed recently that Felder is now back on the UFC roster. It is presumed that Felder is eyeing his return at UFC 300 against the seasoned veteran, Jim Miller.
UFC 300 is being targeted by elite fighters like Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski. It remains to be seen whether the return of the former lightweight contender is significant enough for him to be on the main card. Felder, for his part, was one of the most exciting fighters during his time in the division from 2014 to 2020. Rumors are also swirling about Ronda Rousey returning at UFC 300.
The former Cage Fury Fighting Championship lightweight champion received 6 post-fight bonuses, winning the performance bonus and fight night bonus 3 times each. Notably, Felder had a short feud with Conor McGregor regarding his nickname, “The Irish Dragon,” but McGregor showed respect when Felder initially announced his retirement.
Felder retired after back-to-back losses in 2020
Paul Felder initially announced his retirement from the sport of MMA following back-to-back losses in 2020. The losses were against the then-top-ranked lightweights in Dan Hooker and Rafael Dos Anjos. Even though, Felder lost the bout, both bouts were main events that won fight of the night bonuses.
His loss to Hooker was controversial as media scorecards favored Felder edging 3 rounds to 2. The fight against Dos Anjos was accepted on 5 days’ notice after Islam Makhachev withdrew due to a staph infection. The Irish Dragon’s UFC record currently stands at 9 wins and 6 losses. Interestingly, he holds notable victories over Charles Oliveira, Edson Barboza, and James Vick, among others.
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