UFC welterweight contender Sean Brady has suggested former lightweight Paul Felder is getting the itch to come out of retirement, and would certainly do so for a fight against MMA’s biggest superstar Conor McGregor.
During his career, Felder built a reputation as one of the most entertaining and thrilling men on the UFC roster. The perennial contender fought in wars against Dan Hooker and Edson Barboza, recorded a win over current UFC Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira, and collected six bonuses in 15 appearances on MMA’s biggest stage.
After defeating James Vick and Barboza in 2019, Felder was looking to mount a final charge towards the title. Those aspirations came to a halt when he fell on the wrong side of a tight split decision after five rounds against “The Hangman” in New Zealand last February. Despite the competitive affair, Felder admitted he was thinking about hanging up his gloves.
Nine months later, “The Irish Dragon” showed the heart and determination that made him a fan favorite. On less than a weeks’ notice, the 37-year-old replaced the injured Islam Makhachev to main event UFC Vegas 14 against Rafael dos Anjos. After a second consecutive loss, Felder announced his retirement this year while on commentary duty for a UFC Fight Night.
Brady Reveals Felder Is Training For A Return
Despite only being months out from his decision to officially hang up his gloves, talk of a Felder return has already surfaced. During an October episode of Dana White’s Contender Series, the veteran admitted he was missing active competition “tremendously,” and revealed he’d started hitting pads again.
Now, in an exclusive interview with MMA News, Felder’s teammate Sean Brady has said “The Irish Dragon” is ready to mount a comeback. Brady, who competes at 170 pounds, is set to face top-10 contender Michael Chiesa at UFC Vegas 43 this weekend. While discussing his preparation, the undefeated welterweight said Felder has been getting back into training.
The 28-year-old believes one fight that would certainly lure Felder back to the Octagon is a clash with former two-division champion Conor McGregor.
“He’s getting back to it… he’s gotta start scratching that itch. He’s definitely talking about getting back in the room with us, he’s back with our strength and conditioning coach. So, I’d like to see him and Conor. I know that’s a fight that would make him wanna come back. Paul’s not gonna shoot no takedowns on Conor so Conor hasn’t gotta worry about that. I know that’s a fight Paul would come back for so, who knows, we’ll see.”
Catch our exclusive interview with Sean Brady ahead of UFC Vegas 43 below:
This isn’t the first mention of a clash between McGregor and Felder. While speaking to Joe Rogan following his victory over Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 last January, the Irishman claimed that “any one of these little mouthy fools can get it, even that little fool at the desk,” who was, of course, lightweight contender Paul Felder.
That, coupled with the commentator’s suggestion that McGregor should never fight in the UFC again after the threats he made to Dustin Poirier in July, means the storyline is ready-made for a Felder vs. McGregor showdown.
How do you think a fight between Paul Felder and Conor McGregor would play out?
