It seems that the 39-year-old Paul Felder may be feeling the urge to fight again as he’s just re-enrolled in the USADA testing program, which would enable him to return to the Octagon to compete in six months time.
The UFC color commentator has said he’s not 100% committed to fighting again at this stat though, but he wants to leave the door open just in case.
“I have no idea,” Felder said on the UFC Fight Night 226 pre-fight show when asked if he was making a comeback. “I rolled with Michael (Chiesa) today. Honest to God, it blew up on social. I’m back training. I’m enjoying MMA again.
“For all the people that think I need a complete both hip replacements, I have bad hips, there’s no secret about that. I’ve had bad hips for years, but I am back in the USADA testing pool. That’s exactly where I’m at now, but that is it. That is it. I did it just in case. I’m getting old and there might be some old dudes out there that might want to dust it up in six months. Other than that, I have no idea. I’m enjoying training.”
A few days earlier, Felder had admitted on social media that he’d felt a sudden urge to compete again after watching ‘The Korean Zombie’ Chan Sung Jung’s memorable retirement fight against Max Holloway last weekend.
“@KoreanZombieMMA got me wanting to go once more… damn you zombie,” Felder wrote. “Seeing him face that crowd one last time. Epic moments. Can’t get that main event out of my mind.”
Felder announced his retirement in 2021, a few months after coming off back-to-back split-decision losses against Dan Hooker and Rafael dos Anjos.
That left Felder with a 9-6 record overall in the UFC, beating the likes of Charles Oliveira and Edson Barboza along the way.
