[jwplayer KkoVlYng-FLu19iir]
New Zealand is the hippest of MMA hotspots these days. Auckland’s world-class gym, City Kickboxing, has captured two UFC championships in the past year, with Israel Adesanya taking the middleweight belt and Alexander Volkanovski following up by claiming the featherweight crown.
Which makes this the perfect time for the UFC to visit the island nation for the first time since 2017.
UFC Auckland isn’t the deepest card in company history, but it has its fair share of intrigue. That certainly applies to the main event, a bout between [autotag]Paul Felder[/autotag] and City Kickboxing’s own [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag], a matchup from which a legit lightweight contender should emerge.
The co-main, too, has high consequences, as the bout between Australian [autotag]Jimmy Crute[/autotag] and [autotag]Michał Oleksiejczuk[/autotag] should mark the winner as one to watch in the suddenly hot light heavyweight ranks.
UFC on ESPN+ 26 takes place Saturday (Sunday locally) at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand. The event streams on ESPN+.
Without further ado, here are five burning questions heading into UFC Auckland.
****
Can Paul Felder break through to the top of the lightweight division?
Felder (17-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) has not lost a lightweight fight since 2016.
That’s an easy fact to forget, because in his highest-profile fight since, Felder lost to Mike Perry a UFC 226 on a split decision and got his arm broken in the process.
But that fight was at welterweight, and otherwise, “The Irish Dragon” has been flawless, with five wins at 155 pounds. That includes three finishes, two post-fight bonuses, and last time out, he avenged a loss to Edson Barboza.
Now, Felder has accepted Hooker’s challenge and will face him on the latter’s home turf. The Roufusport product is 34. He’s coming up on a now-or-never point on whether he’s going to break into the highest ranks of the sport’s deepest division. If Felder can win under these circumstances, then he almost has to be given one of 155’s big dogs next.
[opinary poll=”whats-your-pick-for-paul-felder-vs-dan-h” customer=”mmajunkie”]