Paul Felder credits manager for keeping him sane despite UFC 218 opponent switch

Paul Felder’s manager kept him in the dark, but that turned out to be a good thing.

When lightweight Al Iaquinta’s (13-3-1 MMA, 8-2 UFC) participation at UFC 218 was cast into doubt, Felder (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) didn’t hear about it again until the promotion locked down Charles Oliveira (22-7 MMA, 10-7 UFC) as a replacement.

The manager, Brian Butler of SuckerPunch Entertainment, had kept the news from Felder for five days, and for good reason.

“Because he knows I’m a nutcase, and I would have started losing my mind and flipping out,” Felder, who headlines the FS1-televised prelims of the Dec. 2 event at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, told MMAjunkie Radio. “I might have started just eating candy and go and get a beer. So I was just focused until we had an opponent, which is smart. I gave him the green light on that kind of stuff.”

Felder figures the more he’s able to shut out the outside world and prepare, the better. He needs the regularity of training camp so as to not go off the rails.

Oliveira was one of several fighters initially pitched as a replacement, though, so the adjustment from Iaquinta was not a big one. Felder even likes some of the Brazilian veteran’s tendencies in a fight, which is why he’s enjoyed the preparation.

“It’s actually a fun fight because of his striking style and how he moves forward with that old school muay Thai style, the way he marches forward,” Felder said. “I think a lot of this fight could take place on the feet, which is something I’m excited about.”

A striking specialist, Felder works with famed MMA coach and former kickboxing champion Duke Roufus. But he’s also ready for the ground attack that Oliveira has used to submit many tough opponents.

“I’m going to try and break him as soon as possible,” Felder said. “But I have to be intelligent, too. I don’t think it’s any surprise that he’s probably going to try to get me to the mat and use his jiu-jitsu. I’m here with a great team and a great jiu-jitsu coach, so I’m on the mat literally every day.

“We’re prepared, and me and Duke (Roufus) have a plan in place for his striking.”

The unranked Oliveira doesn’t offer as much upside to Felder’s career as did Iaquinta, who’s ranked No. 14 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA lightweight rankings. Still, Felder is dedicated to his ultimate goal of fighting his way up the ladder.

Even his other job as a UFC commentator won’t slow him down, he said, though he does see a point where his time will come to an end.

“I don’t plan on fighting until I’m 40,” Felder said. “I’m 33, and I’m trying to make a run. I’m trying to climb the ranks and make money and get ranked and try to get to that title. If I get there, I’ll stay longer. If I get close, I’ll stay longer.

“If I’m just fighting for a paycheck, that’s when I’ll step down and let the young guns come in and take over, and just watch them fight and call their fights and try to get more of a full-time position as an analyst and work with the UFC if possible.”

For more on UFC 218, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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