Lightweight contender Paul Felder plans on making championship weight when he takes on Edson Barboza at UFC 242.
The pay-per-view event takes place in Abu Dhabi on September 7 and will be headlined by a lightweight title unification fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Poirier. Felder, meanwhile, takes on Barboza in a rematch in the co-main event of the evening.
While he is free to weigh in at 156 pounds, “The Irish Dragon” will be making sure to lose that extra pound, just in case he is required to fill in for anyone in the main event.
“A co-main event with Khabib and Poirier headlining? The answer is yes,” Felder told MMA Junkie Radio. “Oh yeah, I’ll be making 155 pounds for weigh-ins. Of course.”
Of course, at UFC 223 back in April last year, Tony Ferguson had to pull out a week before his lightweight title fight with Nurmagomedov. Max Holloway stepped in but was deemed medically unfit to make the weight. A scramble ensued afterwards with a number of names vying to replace him on the day of the weigh-ins.
Felder had notably made 155 pounds that night, but the NYSAC denied him since he was unranked at the time. Felder’s opponent in Al Iaquinta, instead, got the nod. However, Iaquinta weighed in at 155.2 pounds, so even if he won, he wasn’t eligible to win the title.
Felder doesn’t plan on that happening, at least. This time, he is ranked in the lightweight division’s top 15 as well.
Do you think Felder will be called to step in should anyone pull out of the UFC 242 main event?
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