Earlier this year, Paul Felder
was contemplating retirement. Instead, he’ll make his next Octagon
appearance on just five days’ notice.
Felder will step in for Islam
Makhachev and face Rafael dos
Anjos in the
UFC Fight Night 182 main event on Saturday at the UFC Apex in
Las Vegas. Despite the short-notice nature of the matchup, it will
remain a five-round fight and will still be contested at 155
pounds. ESPN
was first to report the new pairing.
Felder last appeared at UFC Fight Night 168 on Feb. 23, when he
lost a narrow split decision to Dan Hooker in
the evening’s headliner. “The Irish Dragon” publicly mulled
retirement in the aftermath of that defeat before ultimately
reconsidering that decision. The 35-year-old Roufusport product
is 9-5 in his UFC career, with noteworthy triumphs against the
likes of Edson
Barboza, Charles
Oliveira and James Vick.
Felder has also become a staple of UFC broadcasts as a
commentator.
A former UFC lightweight champion, dos Anjos will make his return
to the lightweight division after losing four of his last five
promotional appearances at 170 pounds. The 36-year-old Brazilian
last competed at UFC Fight Night 166, where he suffered a decision
loss to Michael
Chiesa on Jan. 25.