5 things you didn't know about UFC lightweight Paul Felder

#2 The 'Paul Felder Curse'

Paul Felder

The so-called 'Paul Felder' curse is yet to be broken in UFC. It is said that if a fighter manages to secure a win over 'The Irish Dragon', they will go on to lose their next bout. It has been true for all five of the fighters who have defeated Paul Felder inside the Octagon.

Every fighter that has won against Paul Felder has gone on to lose their next fight...The Curse of the Irish Dragon goes on 🇮🇪🐉 pic.twitter.com/HjG2QQ3V8X

— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) June 28, 2020

Felder's first defeat was to Edson Barboza at UFC on FOX 16 via decision in July, 2015, after which Barboza went on to lose to Tony Ferguson in December. The next victim of the "curse" was Ross Pearson, who beat Felder via split decision at UFC 191 and then dropped a decision to Francisco Trinaldo three months later.

Trinaldo himself suffered a similar fate. His win over Felder came via doctor's stoppage TKO in September, 2016. In March 2017, he was submitted by Kevin Lee in the second round.

It was Mike Perry's turn next when he picked up a split decision against Paul Felder at UFC 226 in July 2018. He then lost his very next fight via first-round submission to Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone in November.

For anyone still not convinced - Dan Hooker, who was on a three-fight winning streak and had lost only one of his last 8 bouts, lost to Dustin Poirier after winning against Paul Felder in the main event of UFC Fight Night 168 this year.

All of it is of course purely coincidental. But if something holds true for five consecutive times, one might as well start believing!

So either RDA loses or he gets the Paul Felder curse :(

— Foul Fortune (@FoulFortune) November 9, 2020