Paul Felder experienced a heartbreaker on Saturday when he lost a razor-close fight to Dan Hooker in the UFC on ESPN+ 26 main event.
Felder (17-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) traveled to the other side of the world into Hooker’s (20-8 MMA, 10-4 UFC) back yard at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand and come out the loser in a hotly contested split decision.
The outcome halts a strong run of momentum for Felder in the lightweight division, and at 34, there’s some questions about his future. He brought many of those on himself, though, by teasing retirement in the octagon immediately after the fight. It appears that may have been premature, however, because his head coach Duke Roufus, as well as longtime manager Brian Butler, both indicated this is not the end.
So, what does the loss mean for Felder? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on his future, and why he should fight Al Iaquinta (14-6-1 MMA, 9-5 UFC) next.
