It’s one thing to accept a fight on short notice. It’s entirely
another to do so less than one week before facing a former champion
in a headlining bout in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
For Paul
Felder, stepping up to face Rafael dos
Anjos in the UFC Fight Night 182 headliner was an opportunity
to do something positive in a what has been a dark period for so
many people.
“I thought about it and I decided with everything going on in the
world and all the sad things going on in people’s lives and losing
their jobs and suffering and we just lost Alex freaking Trebek to
pancreatic cancer, I was like, ‘Man, you know you’re still 36.
You’re young. You’re in shape. Save the date. Let’s go get paid.
Let’s have fun. You’re fighting a legend,’” Felder told ESPN.
“What do I have to lose?”
Perhaps even more impressive than Felder’s willingness to step up
was the fact that he agreed to compete at 155 pounds. After all,
Dos Anjos is just coming off a stint at welterweight, so it would
make since for both competitors to agree to fight at a heavier
weight. However, these are different circumstances than normal for
Felder.
“Any other time, this would have been impossible. But Paul has been
biking and swimming like a mad man. He woke up this morning and his
health data says he’s peaking. The universe wanted this to happen,”
said Felder’s manager, Brian Butler.
Added Felder: “I’m much leaner and lighter than I ever would
normally be taking a fight on short notice. Normally this wouldn’t
even be in the cards to even think about because I’d be 195, 198.
I’m nowhere near that. I’m well under [180 pounds]. I’m in the 70s.
So, I’ll give you that. I’m in the 70s. With some time and
water-loading and dehydration, I’ll be fine.”
There’s also the matter of maintaining the integrity of the main
event. It will be dos Anjos’ first 155-pound bout since 2016, and
Felder wanted to accommodate the Brazilian veteran as best he
could.
“I think he really wants to be fighting the top guys at 155 to make
his comeback and give himself a chance,” Felder said. “That was one
of the stipulations. Obviously, we talked about catchweights, but I
know with main events, if possible, they like to keep it at the
weight class. That was one of the things, ‘Do you think you can
make it?’ It’s not going to be fun, but I’m going to make it.”
Felder contemplated retirement following a split-decision loss to
Dan
Hooker in February, but
ultimately reconsidered in hopes of pursuing bigger fights. A
main event against dos Anjos fits that bill, and a victory could be
a steppingstone to more marquee bookings.
“I know I’m nearing the end of my career soon. This, I think, it’s
win-win for me because if I go in there and I can finish and beat
RDA, a former champ, then it gives me a lot of selling points to be
getting these bigger fights which seem to have been eluding me at
the top five of the lightweight division here in the UFC. How do
you not give me something big after this if I go in there after
stepping up? And, if it doesn’t go my way, then I saved the day.
I’m going in there to try to win,