LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Paul Felder, a retired American professional mixed martial artist, now lends his expertise as a color commentator for the UFC. He was a notable contender in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and made his professional debut in 2011, showcasing his skills in the Cage Fury Fighting Championships.
Paul Felder has once again been summoned to duty in Abu Dhabi, as reported by MMA Fighting. This comes in the lead-up to UFC 294 scheduled for this Saturday at the Etihad Arena, featuring a headline lightweight title rematch between Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski.
It has been confirmed that Joe Rogan will not be present. Further details on the replacement of Joe Rogan by Paul Felder follow.
Has Paul Felder Replaced Joe Rogan for UFC 294?
Paul Felder will step in as the color commentator, joining the regular team of Daniel Cormier and Jon Anik. Megan Olivi will report from the arena during the broadcast.
Sources have confirmed this to MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck. MMA Junkie was the first to report on the commentary team.
A few years back, Rogan decided he no longer wanted to endure the travel schedule for international PPVs. Since then, the UFC has rotated in a group of commentators to replace him for overseas events. Felder last took on this role for the UFC’s most recent trip to Abu Dhabi at UFC 280 one year ago.
UFC 294 will have an earlier start time than usual due to the event being held in Abu Dhabi. The prelims will kick off at 10 am ET, and the main card will begin on PPV at 2 pm ET.
Internet reacts to Joe Rogan’s replacement in UFC 29
The official Twitter handle of MMA Fighting shared a post with the caption, "Paul Felder replaces Joe Rogan on commentary team for UFC 294." Upon reading the post, many fans flocked to the comment section and shared their take on the news.
One fan claimed, "He didn’t replace anyone, Rogan doesn’t do international events. He rarely has."
Another fan wrote, "He didn't replace him... Its so annoying when these media outlets pretend like he's filling in when Rogan only does the US PPV's lmao."
A third fan said, "I'm always gonna miss Joe but Paul is good at what he does."
A fourth user said, "Felder is such a natural, they struck gold with him" .
Joe Rogan and Paul Felder discuss Charles Oliveria’s transformation
In a recent episode of 'The Joe Rogan Experience', Joe Rogan and Paul Felder took center stage to delve into Charles Oliveira's remarkable transformation from being labeled a 'quitter' to achieving the status of a champion.
Rogan said, "He still is an interesting case because he was a guy who was kind of known as a guy who fell apart." Felder then added, "A quitter, a little bit."
