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Popular UFC lightweight contender Paul Felder shared a series of pictures via Instagram on Sunday to help explain why the 35-year-old might not be heading back to the Octagon anytime soon.
The seven gruesome, bloody and macabre images “The Irish Dragon” shared were from several of the various injuries and hurts he’d suffered during his nine-year professional fighting career.
You can scroll through those pictures below, which include broken bones, bloody faces and a graphic image of what Felder revealed to be a “chunk” of his collapsed lung “that was punctured and had to be removed”.
Is Felder Considering Retirement?
Felder indicated he might be on his way to retiring though he stopped short of making an official announcement via social media.
Additionally, it should be noted that Felder is still ranked sixth in the UFC’s lightweight division, so it doesn’t seem he’s told anyone over at the UFC offices anything about retiring either.
Regardless, the fighter seems to be pondering whether fighting again is worth the risk.
“I get asked a lot when I’m returning or if I’m officially retired,” Felder posted. “I miss the octagon and competing but these pictures are how I come home to a five-year-old princess. It’s a hard job. This is why I love commentating. I get to talk about the toughest athletes on the planet.”
Judging by the pictures the American posted on Sunday, Felder certainly deserves to be counted among the very toughest people in the world.
Felder Split Last 2 Fights
The fighter appears to have kept training over the last few months.
But Felder split his last two fights, and both were hotly contested decisions.
Felder won a split decision over Edson Barboza in September 2019 and dropped his next fight in the same way to Dan Hooker in February.
“Face is definitely broken, but we’ll get that fixed,” Felder said after his fight against Hooker.
Additionally, Felder serves as a part-time UFC commentator, something he plans on doing more in the future.
That role is something that can keep him close to the action without the risk of expelling any more pieces of his lung.
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