5 potential opponents Paul Felder could make his UFC return against

Former UFC lightweight Paul Felder recently hinted that a return may be on the cards in the near future. Felder retired from the sport six months ago, making the decision to focus on his career as a commentator and the triathlons he competes in.

However, Paul Felder recently spoke with fellow commentator Brendan Fitzgerald, where he revealed that he is beginning to miss competing in the UFC and that he is, at the very least, tempted to mount a comeback.

“I feel like since the triathlon season has slowed and there’s not a lot of races, I’ve really had a chance to reflect on the fact that it’s over and I’m not fighting anymore and that I’ve missed it tremendously. I started hitting pads and doing stuff. Now that’s not to say I’m making some comeback but I’m gonna go home and train with the guys a little bit and I wanna see how I feel after a week of training with these Philly guys and we’ll go from there.”

You can check out Paul Felder's full talk with Brendan Fitzgerald below:

Assuming Paul Felder does return, in the following list we break down five potential UFC opponents that 'The Irish Dragon' could return against.

Felder has competed at both lightweight and welterweight in the past, so we will consider fighters from both weight classes. Honorable mentions go to Rafael Fiziev, Drew Dober and Robbie Lawler.

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#5. Kevin Lee - Unranked UFC welterweight

Kevin Lee was at one time considered to be one of the greatest UFC lightweights on the planet. He put together nine wins out of 11 fights en route to a shot at the interim 155-pound title, having defeated elite opposition such as Michael Chiesa, Jake Matthews and Francisco Trinaldo.

However, Lee came up short against Tony Ferguson when competing for the interim belt. Since that fight, Lee has struggled to put together another winning streak, going 2-4.

He recently made the move up to welterweight. Should Felder wish to compete at 170 pounds, Lee may well be the perfect opponent to return against. Despite his recent struggle to find consistent form in the UFC, 'The Motown Phenom' is still a big name and a worthy competitor.

#4. Nick Diaz - Unranked UFC welterweight/middleweight

At UFC 266, Nick Diaz made his first walk to the UFC octagon since 2015. He rematched Robbie Lawler at the September pay-per-view. Whilst he ultimately came up short, there were several vintage Nick Diaz moments that shone through.

Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler was at middleweight. However, Diaz has always been a career welterweight and he could certainly make 170 pounds again if he committed to a return.

This would be a high-profile fight for Felder and would likely not take as physical a toll on him as his fights with Barboza and Hooker did.

UFC 266: Diaz v Lawler

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#3. Jorge Masvidal - No.6-ranked UFC welterweight

Jorge Masvidal poses an entirely different matchup for Paul Felder. A fight with 'Gamebred' may well be a route for Felder to take if he wishes to make one last run at a UFC title.

This pick is somewhat reliant on Jorge Masvidal coming up short against Leon Edwards at UFC 269. If he does pick up a loss, then Masvidal will be looking for an opponent with an established name, who could generate a good paycheck and send him back into the contender mix.

UFC 244 Masvidal v Diaz

As a result of his flying knee knockout against Ben Askren, as well as his war for the BMF title against Nate Diaz, Jorge Masvidal has become one of the biggest names in the welterweight division. If Paul Felder could go out there and pick up a statement victory against him, he would likely be only a win or two away from a shot at the welterweight title.

#2. Nate Diaz - Unranked UFC lightweight/welterweight

In terms of big money fights that thousands will tune in to watch, you would be hard pressed to find a better opponent for your UFC return than Nate Diaz.

This really does seem to be a fight perfectly suited for Felder's return. Nate has been very vocal on social media in recent weeks, suggesting he is looking for an opponent to fight in the near future.

Nate Diaz has competed at both lightweight and welterweight in the past and earlier this year he was one half of the first ever five-round non-title and non-main event fight. This could be the perfect fight for Felder. He would be making his return on the main card of a UFC pay-per-view, which would likely be headlined by some even higher profile names.

It is also worth noting that whilst a win over Nick Diaz wouldn't do too much in terms of progressing up the rankings, a win over Nate Diaz can still heavily impact a fighter's position on the division's ladder. Nate does appear to be targeting a fight with Vicente Luque next, but if that fight fails to be made, Felder may well step up to the challenge.

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#1. Tony Ferguson - No.7-ranked UFC lightweight

That brings us to the number one pick. Former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson has come up short in his last three fights. However, his level of opposition has been exceedingly high. His three recent defeats came against Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush.

UFC 256: Tony Ferguson vs. Charles Oliveira

Whilst this run of bad form does not look good on paper, Ferguson is still very much capable of competing at an extremely high level. However, it may be time for him to face a fellow veteran of the sport, rather than yet another upcoming contender.

He is still ranked within the top 10 of the division and does not currently have a fight booked. He has also previously hinted that a move up to welterweight might be on the cards for him.

On top of all these points, stylistically, a fight between Paul Felder and Tony Ferguson is incredibly compelling. Both men are elite fighters on the feet and both have a habit of utilizing elbow strikes to devastating effect.

Currently, this would be the most logical fight for Paul Felder to take, should he return to the UFC.