MMA News

Tag: Paul Felder

  • “It is a problem” – Khamzat Chimaev Winning The UFC Middleweight Throne is a Promotional Disaster, According to UFC Veterans

    “It is a problem” – Khamzat Chimaev Winning The UFC Middleweight Throne is a Promotional Disaster, According to UFC Veterans

    Could Khamzat Chimaev’s potential title win at UFC 319 pose a big problem for the promotion?

    On Saturday, August 16, ‘Borz’ will step into the main event spotlight in Chicago, challenging reigning and defending middleweight king Dricus du Plessis.

    After making his spectacular UFC debut in 2020, pummeling three opponents in the span of eight weeks, everyone thought Chimaev was on the fast track to title contention. Unfortunately, Chimaev’s momentum was halted due to an especially difficult bout with COVID-19 followed by a slew of post-pandemic illnesses that kept his appearances inside the Octagon few and far between.

    Since 2022, ‘Borz’ has only competed once a year, leading some to speculate that a win over du Plessis in ‘The Windy City’ could be a disastrous turn of events for the UFC.

    “Would Khamzat Chimaev winning the belt be a disaster for the division?,” ex-UFC champ Michael Bisping questioned on his Believe You Me podcast. “I got to agree that as far as promotion-wise, yeah, it could be, right?”

    “Until we see him fight more regularly, then it is a question,” co-host and former fighter Paul Felder added. “It is a problem.”

    UFC 319 will be Khamzat Chimaev’s first time fighting in the U.S. since 2022

    Aside from Chimaev’s inconsistent schedule and laundry-list of cancelled bouts, another cause for concern could be his willingness to fight stateside. When ‘Borz’ steps inside the United Center this weekend, it will be his first time competing in the U.S. since September 10, 2022. On that night, Chimaev was originally scheduled to face Nate Diaz in the UFC 279 main event.

    However, Chimaev infamously stepped in the scale eight pounds over the welterweight limit, forcing the UFC to shake-up the top of the card 24 hours before fight night.

    Chimaev went on to ragdoll Kevin Holland in the co-main event, earning his sixth win inside the Octagon. He was subsequently forced to move up from 170 to middleweight, where he’s since added wins over Kamaru Usman and Robert Whittaker, setting the stage for his scrap with ‘DDP’ in ‘Chi-Town.’

    Between illnesses, weight misses, and cancellations aplenty, are Bisping and Felder right to be concerned about what the middleweight division could look like with Chimaev sitting on the throne?

  • Paul Felder Urges Bo Nickal to ‘Let it Fly’ in Des Moines Showdown

    Paul Felder Urges Bo Nickal to ‘Let it Fly’ in Des Moines Showdown

    UFC commentator and former lightweight contender Paul Felder issued a direct warning to undefeated prospect Bo Nickal ahead of his crucial Saturday showdown with former ONE Championship double-champ Reinier de Ridder at UFC Des Moines, urging the wrestling phenom to be more aggressive after his disappointing last outing.

    In an interview with ESPN, Felder called for Nickal to bounce back from his lackluster performance against Paul Craig at UFC 309. “Because in that Paul Craig fight, he went out there, there was a lot of eyeballs, a lot of hype on this kid, and he just never pulled the trigger”, Felder told ESPN, adding “you got to go out there, you got to be aggressive. I don’t care if it’s with the striking or the wrestling, but I think he’s really got to commit”.

    The criticism echoes comments Felder made during the “Believe You Me” podcast with Michael Bisping, where they discussed Nickal’s failure to utilize his wrestling against Craig. “This was an opportunity for you to be more aggressive and when it wasn’t working out on the feet, it was a huge opportunity to show him that wrestling, and he just never did that”, Felder stated, noting that “the crowd was booing like crazy” during Nickal’s cautious performance.

    The 5-0 Penn State wrestling legend faces his toughest test yet in de Ridder, who brings elite submission credentials that could force Nickal to either engage his vaunted wrestling or risk getting caught in the stand-up exchanges. “Time to get choked”, de Ridder confidently stated at media day, highlighting the high-stakes grappling matchup.

    Nickal, who “asked for this fight”, acknowledges the step up in competition and the need to silence critics after his hesitant showing against Craig. With an emphatic victory, the undefeated prospect could vault himself into middleweight rankings discussions and prove his fan-friendly evolution as a complete mixed martial artist rather than the tentative kickboxer he displayed last time out.

    Saturday’s co-main event at Wells Fargo Arena presents Nickal with an opportunity to showcase the dominant wrestling that made him college’s most decorated grappler – but only if he heeds Felder’s advice to let it fly.

  • Colby Covington Hits Back At Comments From ‘Self-Loathing Drunk A**hole’ Paul Felder

    Colby Covington Hits Back At Comments From ‘Self-Loathing Drunk A**hole’ Paul Felder

    The back and forth between Colby Covington and Paul Felder continues. 

    Covington, known for his polarizing “heel” persona and vocal support of Donald Trump, has significantly boosted his notoriety within the UFC by openly antagonizing fellow fighters. However, Felder has observed a recent shift in Covington’s behavior. 

    He noted a more amicable demeanor in his organic interactions, evidenced by Covington’s cordial greeting to former rival Kamaru Usman and Paddy Pimblett’s account of a surprisingly positive encounter. Felder thinks Covington isn’t who he portrays.

    For Covington, he thinks Felder is a “bum” and a punching bag for the UFC. 

    “The guy’s an absolute bum,” Covington stated on Submission Radio. “He’s never done anything in the sport. He has no reason to talk shit, especially when he’s never been in a main event in his life. The guy’s a bum. He’s gotten beaten up by everybody. He’s literally been a punching bag in the UFC and he’s a self-loathing drunk asshole.”

    Covington’s most recent fight occurred at a UFC Fight Night in Tampa, Florida, last December, where he faced Joaquin Buckley. The bout ended in the third round when the ringside physician stopped the fight due to a significant cut over Covington’s eye, awarding Buckley a TKO victory.

  • Paul Felder Reacts Strongly To Aleksandar Rakić’s Commentary Snub

    UFC light heavyweight contender Aleksandar Rakić took a subtle dig at former UFC fighter turned commentator Paul Felder on Twitter.

    Rakić is set to face former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz later this year in his return to the Octagon. He most recently defeated Thiago Santos and Anthony Smith in a pair of massive light heavyweight wins.

    Rakić has never been afraid to speak his mind, especially when it comes to the UFC commentary team and their supposed bias. He most recently took a shot at Daniel Cormier after Dominick Cruz criticized his fight commentary leading up to UFC 269.

    Felder, who has become a notable voice on UFC broadcasts since retiring last year, took exception when Rakić appeared to leave him out of a complimentary tweet towards fight commentators.

    Paul Felder Responds To Aleksandar Rakic’s Apparent Jab

    https://twitter.com/felderpaul/status/1480027732197064704?s=20

    “Just say what you gotta say,” Felder said. “Is this a third-grade crush? Tell me you don’t like my commentary and I’ll tell you some of your fights suck.”

    In a series of since-deleted tweets, Rakić said he tends to mute the UFC broadcasts when commentators such as Felder are at the desk. Felder took exception to this and even responded to Rakic in the middle of a fight card.

    Rakić has emerged as one of the more outspoken light heavyweight contenders, as evidenced by his recent back-and-forths with Jiří Procházka. Rakić could get the next 205-pound title shot with another impressive win in the Octagon.

    Felder also has a history of not letting trolls and critics go unchallenged. He’s notorious for putting harsh critics of his commentary on blast and often engages in Twitter back-and-forths.

    What are your thoughts on the UFC commentary team?

  • Felder: Fourth McGregor Fight Would Be “Too Much” For Poirier Right Now

    Former UFC lightweight contender Paul Felder believes a fourth fight with megastar Conor McGregor would be “too much” for Dustin Poirier right now.

    Poirier is currently coming off his second devastating title defeat in the UFC. Following his first, a third-round submission loss to the great Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2019, “The Diamond” fought his way back to the belt in impressive fashion.

    After rebounding with a main event victory over a Dan Hooker in 2020, a bout awarded the Fight of the Night honours and widely considered a Fight of the Year contender, Poirier re-visited his rivalry with a certain “Notorious” Irishman in 2021.

    Having leveled the score in the feud by becoming the first man to knock McGregor out at UFC 257, Poirier was seemingly in line for a shot at the vacant belt. Instead, he chose another money fight with the former two-division champion, one that ended with trilogy glory for the Louisianan.

    But while most expected him to close out a spectacular year with title success, the formidable underdog presence of champion Charles Oliveira stood in his way. In the final pay-per-view main event of the year, “Do Bronx” submitted Poirier in the third round, a heartbreaking case of déjà vu for the perennial contender.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CXXyt0VsRCO/

    Felder Says Poirier Needs “Fun” & “Light-Hearted” Fights

    Following his latest setback, Poirier was unsurprisingly de-motivated and deflated. He even suggested he may never fight at lightweight again and claimed no potential fight excited him anymore. However, the thought of a clash with veteran fan-favorite Nate Diaz soon brought a glimpse of motivation back for the 32-year-old.

    But while both parties appeared to accept the fight for early 2022, a stall in negotiations has seemingly left Poirier back in an uncertain crossroads in his career. That’s much to the confusion of Felder, who believes the Diaz fight was a no-brainer.

    During a recent interview with The Schmo, “The Irish Dragon,” who knows a thing or two about losing the hunger to fight, suggested a matchup with an individual like Diaz is exactly what Poirier needs. According to Felder, “The Diamond,” should avoid high-pressure fights with title implications, including a potential tetralogy with McGregor.

    “It should be done (Poirier vs. Diaz). That should have written itself right then and there after Dustin lost that fight to Charles Oliveira. He needs a fun fight… He just needs to go out there against somebody and not be worried about titles, not have the pressure. Even a Conor McGregor fight I think is too much for him right now. Just go out there against another top dog, somebody who’s been around for a while, and try to get a W, and if not, go get paid, make people see it. I think he needs a light-hearted fight, not that any of them are easy, but he needs one with no title implications on the line.”

    While all parties appeared to agree a fourth Poirier vs. McGregor clash is inevitable soon after UFC 264, the Irishman certainly isn’t short of other options and looks to have his sights set on Oliveira’s lightweight gold. Apart from that, potential bouts with Michael Chandler and Max Holloway also offer intriguing possibilities for McGregor’s comeback.

    For Poirier, the options aren’t as clear heading into the new year. He’s previously teased a switch to welterweight, and with his potential departure from the 155-pound division, perhaps we’ll be seeing a grudge match between “The Diamond” and his former teammate Colby Covington in the near future, although that would certainly veer away from the type of fights Felder believes Poirier should be pursuing.

    Do you agree with Paul Felder? Would a fourth fight against Conor McGregor be too much for Dustin Poirier at the moment?