5 Things You Didn’t Know About Paul Felder

Paul Felder has stepped in to save the original UFC Fight Night: Makhachev vs Dos Santos’ main event from cancellation. The fighter turned UFC commentator will replace Islam Makhachev in a lightweight clash at what is now UFC Fight Night: Felder vs Dos Anjos.

Paul Felder has a point to prove with his upcoming fight. To Get a deeper understanding of Felder, here are five lesser-known facts about him.

Paul Felder had an early start in the world of combat sports

Born and brought up in Philadelphia, the 35-year-old Felder has been in combat sports for a large part of his life. He started as a pre-teen at the early age of 12. The fighter holds a black belt in taekwondo and participated in the Junior Olympics in the discipline. Later, once he graduated High School, Felder made the shift to mixed martial arts.

Early Professional career

Before Paul Felder became the well-known UFC lightweight contender, he dabbled around in other MMA promotions. Like many other fighters, he got his first professional fight from Cage Fury Fighting Championships. Ahead of his professional debut in 2011, he had a 3-1 amateur record.

‘The Irish Dragon’ secured the lightweight title in Cage Fury Fighting Championships with a knockout victory over Marc Stevens. He also successfully defended his title against Craig Johnson before signing with UFC in 2014.

UFC career and stats

Paul Felder has been a prominent fighter in the lightweight division since his arrival on the scene. He made his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 54, opposite Jason Saggo. He took this bout via a split decision and put together a 9-5 record during his time as a fighter in the UFC.

Paul Felder has won 10 of his 17 fights via a T/KO. These include wins over the likes of Charles Oliveira, Stevie Ray, Alex Ricci, and Danny Castillo.

The so-called “Paul Felder Curse”

There has been this so-called “Curse” that if a fighter manages to defeat Paul Felder, they will surely go on to lose the next match. This curse though it may seem to be just a coincidence, but fans have noticed that it does hold true for all his five losses.

The five men that secured a victory over ‘The Irish Dragon’ haven’t managed to beat the curse. All the five, that is Dan Hooker, Mike Perry, Francisco Trinaldo, Ross Pearson, and Edson Barboza have been victims of the curse.

Felder’s return from retirement

After his last fight nine months ago, Paul Felder left his gloves in the Octagon. This was his symbolic announcement of retirement and fans assumed that ‘The Irish Dragon’s days in the cage were over. Now, he seems confident to jump back in and resume his career.

He has agreed to take on Rafael dos Anjos on just five day’s notice. Do you think Paul Felder will fight even after this contest irrespective of the outcome?