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Paul Felder has enjoyed the transition from UFC fighter into UFC commentator. It's not an easy job but it's one that the Philadelphia native is very good at.
Paul Felder has received praise from everyone in the MMA community for his skills in calling UFC fights. There is one thing he has a hard time with though.
“It drives me nuts when a fighter complains about us, and I take it to heart,” Felder told MMA Junkie Radio.”That’s why I snapped at (Marvin) Vettori and we had a back-and-forth because me and (Daniel Cormier) and Dominick (Cruz). We were one of you guys.
“So if they don’t like what we say or they think we’re biased, it really does upset us. I can tell you on a personal note that we all talk about that, and these are things that we think about. We want to do justice and diligence to these men and women that fighting in that cage. I love (commentating). It’s one of the reasons I was able to retire early.”
Paul Felder takes his job very seriously and wants to do a good job no matter what. He understands where UFC fighters are coming from because he was once in their shoes. He admits UFC fighters are sensitive.
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“One hundred percent (they are sensitive) – no doubt about it,” Felder said. “We’re a sensitive group, and I was, too. I can speak for myself, when I was fighting and someone would say this, it would drive me nuts all day.
“I’d be walking around all day pissed off, and my girlfriend would ask me, ‘What’s wrong?’ My mom would ask me. ‘I got into a Twitter battle today,’ or ‘One of the broadcasters said they didn’t think I won the Edson (Barboza) fight.’ Whatever it was, it would make me upset for the rest of the day.”
Retiring from fighting in the UFC is actually something that helped Paul Felder tremendously. Now there is no agenda or anyone accusing him of bias.
“It’s great because now I can say whatever I feel,” Felder said. “There’s no agenda for me to get a fight, especially in my division. If I want to say, ‘I think so-and-so won,’ it doesn’t matter. That’s my opinion. That’s what I’m paid to do now, and people need to realize that.
“I feel like in sports broadcasting, and now I realize maybe some of the guys that I gave crap to or the Eagles fans gave crap to, I see in a different light now because that guy is just giving his opinion, which is what he is paid to do. Granted, he’s paid to be equal and honest with what’s in front of him.
“But I’m going to say what I see, and I do feel I have more freedom to be a broadcaster now and on-air personality. I’m not a fighter. I’m not fighting any of you guys. So if they want to complain about it, I’m going to come at you from an intellectual standpoint and not from, ‘Let’s beat each other up.’ It’s not happening. … It’s been kind of a relief. I like it.”
Paul Felder has been teasing a potential return to fighting in the UFC but the chances are slim. The now commentator has his eyes on big projects and that includes calling fights at the highest level.
