"I don't think I'll call a Jared Gordon fight ever again" - Paul Felder speaks about the difficulties of being an unbiased UFC commentator
Paul Felder recently talked about how hard it is for him to call Jared Gordon's fights, considering their friendship and the need to stay unbiased while on commentary duty.
Gordon faced Bobby Green at UFC Fight Night 222 in April last year, where the fight ended in an anti-climactic fashion, as there was an unintentional clash of heads, with 'Flash' on the receiving end. As such, the bout was declared a no-contest.
Felder, who was commentating that night, reacted poorly after Gordon got inadvertently knocked out, which did not sit well with Green, who later slammed the former lightweight during an appearance on The MMA Hour.
Reflecting on the situation while speaking to MMA Junkie, Felder stated:
''It's tough, and I have been told, I don't think I will ever call a Jared Gordon fight ever again.''
'The Irish Dragon' added:
''This is not fun, it's really difficult honestly and then it almost makes you sometimes talk more about the other guy because you don't want to be praising your buddies too much so. Then they come at you like, 'Hey man, why are you talking about so and so all the time?'''
Catch Paul Felder's comments below:
Gordon returned to the win column in November, finishing Mark O. Madsen at UFC 295 in New York City.
Meanwhile, Felder, who's been retired since 2020, recently entertained the idea of coming back for one last fight at the historic UFC 300 card slated for April this year. The American's last bout was his short-notice decision loss to Rafael dos Anjos over three years ago.
Paul Felder reveals why he retired from professional MMA
Paul Felder hasn't fought since November 2020, working primarily as a commentator and analyst for the UFC over the past three years. During his appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, Felder explained what led him to finally decide to call it quits, highlighting a litany of medical issues:
''Looking back, I would've stayed leaner and [in] better shape all year around and not done the drastic weight cuts that I did... I know for sure that I've hurt my kidneys to the point even after fights, I've had rhabdo.''
The former UFC lightweight added:
I've almost had compartment syndrome, they were going to have to slice my calf open. I've obviously lost a piece of my lung in the James Vick fight... That was miserable... Dude, that was one of the things... Retirement was like, I can't, I just can't [do it anymore]."
Catch Paul Felder's comments below (0:16):
Felder retired with a professional record of 17-6, comprising ten knockouts and one submission win. He was always considered one of the most entertaining 155-pounders on the roster, accruing six post-fight bonuses in his UFC career. Notably, his last two fights, both split-decision defeats, earned Fight of the Night honors.