Tag: UFC Fight Night 182

[autotag]Paul Felder[/autotag] has contemplated retirement for the majority of 2020. If he beats Rafael dos Anjos at UFC Fight Night 182, however, he admits there’s a good chance more fights are ahead.

Felder (17-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC), a top lightweight contender, has taken a prominent role as a UFC commentator and analyst when he’s not active inside the octagon. Fighting hasn’t been the priority for several months, but then Islam Makhachev fell out of Saturday’s headliner, and Felder stepped up to face dos Anjos (30-13 MMA, 18-11 UFC) on just five days’ notice.

Given the fact dos Anjos is a former champion and big name, a win would elevate Felder’s resume. Because of that, he said it would be tough to walk away.

“I started to get a little bitter towards the division, and I didn’t see that road,” Felder told reporters, including MMA Junkie, during Thursday’s UFC Fight Night 182 virtual media day. “I told you guys from the beginning: If I don’t see that path toward the top, then why I am I doing it? Why am I getting hit in the head? Why am I coming home beat up to my family if I’m not going to be the best? I’m not fighting just to make money. I’m fighting for opportunities to set me up for the future and for bigger things, then this presents itself.

“I’m stepping in on five days’ notice to fight an absolute legend in RDA. If I lose and he takes my ranking, then OK, I know that maybe I’m not meant to be fighting for the title anyway. The path is still there. With a win, how can you not argue to give me a fight that I really want with one of these top guys and one of these exciting matchups at 155 pounds? So for me, it made sense.”

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Felder usually needs a full training camp in order to make the lightweight limit. He’s signed on to make the 156-pound non-title limit on Friday and will go into a five-round main event, which takes place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+.

The ability to make weight just five days out is aided by Felder’s recent preparation for an upcoming triathlon. He said he was much lighter than he would typically be when he’s not in fight preparation, and he saw it as the perfect scenario for him to step up – even if it’s viewed as a gutsy move.

“You don’t get the things you want in life by being safe and not taking risks,” Felder said. “I’ve kind of made my career on fighting the dangerous guys, doing the crazy things, going to other countries and fighting in their backyards. This is just another chapter of me doing the stupid stuff in my career.

“I think with a win, it would be awesome to just throw the gloves down and be like, ‘I’m done – five days!’ then walk away. But there’s the other part of me that knows when that hand gets raised it’s going to be like, ‘Oh, I want to do that again.’ I want bigger fights. I want a camp for this one.”

Getting the win won’t be an easy task, though, and Felder knows it. Dos Anjos has built himself a UFC Hall of Fame-worthy resume, and he’s shared the octagon with some all-time notables at both lightweight and welterweight.

Felder thinks his physical style will cause some issues for the Brazilian. He knows aggression is a key to victory.

“Just giving him the Philly Phone Booth as (coach) Duke (Roufus) would say,” Felder said. “Letting him know, ‘You come anywhere near me, you’re getting hit with something hard.’ You want to take me down? You’re going to smash through my hips? When I get back up I’m going to knee you in the face. I’ve got to let him know that there’s going to be violence every step of the way. I think he fights a little bit like that. I think the fans are in for a good one.”

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