If Paul Felder wants to retire after UFC Auckland, he should
Top lightweight contender Paul Felder squared off against Dan Hooker at UFC Auckland on Saturday night. ‘The Irish Dragon’ looked impressive throughout 25 minutes, but ultimately suffered defeat via split decision.
In his post-fight interview Felder hinted at retirement and said his four-year-old daughter was the prime reason for the decision. Although he is clearly able to compete at the top, if the 34-year-old wants to call it a day, he should.
Commentary Career
Outside of fighting, Felder already has a ready-made back-up career as a commentator. Not many other fighters have the luxury of a well-paying second job. Why get punched in the head when you can just talk about others who are doing it? Felder is also very good at his secondary job too, he is quickly becoming one of the UFC’s most popular broadcasters. Hang ‘em up and enjoy your retirement talking on the mic.
On His Mind
UFC President Dana White famously said, “if you’re thinking about retirement, you should probably retire.” Whilst the divisive promoter is not someone I always agree with, this is one topic I 100% back him on. Any fighter who is contemplating retirement is no longer fully committed to the sport. Whilst Felder is thinking about his future, young killers are in the gym training 24/7. Get out now on the top of your game, rather than fight on and perhaps suffer unnecessary losses and/or damage.
Fight Style
Throughout his six-year-UFC career, Felder has received six performance bonuses. Anyone who watches MMA knows those things aren’t just handed out and more often than not, they are paid for in blood. There’s only so many times someone can go to war like Felder does. With a new career set and retirement already on his mind, why would Felder want to keep putting it all on the line anymore?
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