Paul Felder Steps Up, Will Fight Rafael dos Anjos At UFC Vegas 14

Paul Felder is saving the day for UFC Vegas 14.

Felder, who hasn’t competed since February 23, will be stepping up to take on Rafael dos Anjos this Saturday night, November 14. Previously, dos Anjos was scheduled to take on Islam Makhachev. That plan blew up in smoke when Makhachev caught an infection.

ESPN’s Brett Okamoto broke the news of Felder serving as a replacement opponent.

Per UFC officials, none other than Paul Felder (@felderpaul) is stepping in on FIVE DAYS notice to fight Rafael dos Anjos. STILL a five round fight. STILL 155 pounds. Wow.

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) November 9, 2020

“Per UFC officials, none other than Paul Felder is stepping in on FIVE DAYS notice to fight Rafael dos Anjos. STILL a five-round fight. STILL 155 pounds. Wow.”

While the news of Felder stepping up on short notice is a welcoming surprise for many, some are questioning why the fight with dos Anjos will be contested at 155 pounds. There are some who believe that a catchweight bout would’ve made sense in this situation. The UFC is known for being against catchweight bouts although the promotion has booked them recently.

In his last outing, dos Anjos dropped a unanimous decision to Michael Chiesa. It was the former UFC Lightweight Champion’s second straight loss. He hasn’t emerged victorious since May 18, 2019, when he submitted Kevin Lee.

As for Felder, he’ll be looking for a bounce-back win as well. He suffered a split decision defeat to Dan Hooker. Had he won the bout, “The Irish Dragon” would’ve been on a three-fight winning streak.