After coming out on the wrong end of a razor-thin split decision verdict against Dan Hooker last month, Paul Felder suggested that he was looking to retire from the sport, but after having had time to reflect he’s decided not to hang up his gloves after all.
“That moment almost seemed right, but nah, I think I’ve got a lot more left in me physically,” Felder told ESPN’s Ariel Helwani. “I’m already recovering from one of the hardest battles of my life, and s—, it’s addictive, man. That five rounds, that main event, I liked it. I liked being on the poster.
“I’m a pretty dramatic guy. I kind of always think about that moment [of retiring in the cage]. Just as I always think about what having the belt put around my waist would be like and taking that back to Philly. Or fighting at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, or bringing the belt to the Eagles’ stadium, The Linc, and hanging out with the team. I fantasize about all of these things, and retirement is just another one of them. And it’s not in any bad way.”
Having now got a taste for the big occasion, Felder says he’s only looking to return to action for the kind of blockbuster fights that he’s got his heart set on.
“I think at this point it’s safe to say I’m only coming back for things that really entice me. Things that are going to make me train the way I did for this fight — five-round fights, big, huge matchups with somebody who excites me. Other than that, I’ll just do commentary and wait for that matchup.”
