UFC: Paul Felder wants spring return; will see how lightweight division ‘shakes out’
- ‘The Irish Dragon’ keen to see how things unfold in blockbuster 155-pound bouts at UFC 257, where he will be cageside
- ‘I’m staying in shape now even while here doing my commentary work … I’m the lightest I’ve ever been outside training camps’
Paul Felder seems to be the odd man out in most people’s minds when it comes to booking the UFC lightweight division.
With champ Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0) seemingly retired, an unofficial eight-man tournament of sorts has been playing out to determine the new king at 155 pounds. It started with Charles Oliveira’s dominant unanimous decision over Tony Ferguson (25-5) in December, while two more “quarter-finals” top the bill at UFC 257 on Sunday in Dustin Poirier vs Conor McGregor, and Dan Hooker vs debutant Michael Chandler.
Former interim champ Gaethje – whom Nurmagomedov submitted in two rounds last October – is still ranked No 1 and certainly in the mix, with former McGregor foe Nate Diaz rumoured to be coming down from welterweight to test him.
And No 8-ranked Felder is just keen to start seeing how it all plays out from cageside in his role as a UFC colour commentator this weekend on Fight Island, before he thinks about his return.
“There’s so many match-ups at lightweight and I think it’s gonna come down to who’s healthy and who’s ready, and how a lot of these fights shake out, because obviously there’s gonna be two big lightweight fights coming up,” Felder told SCMP MMA from his hotel room in Abu Dhabi.
“Poirier and McGregor is the ultimate lightweight match-up. Michael Chandler’s making his UFC debut against a former opponent of mine, Dan Hooker. Charles Oliveira, we gotta see where he’s going. Justin Gaethje’s out there.