"Laura Sanko is excited" - Paul Felder hopping back on UFC roster weeks after massive injury reveal leaves fans speculating

Paul Felder could be making his highly anticipated return to action sooner than expected. Despite announcing that he was suffering from a nasty hip condition last month, 'The Irish Dragon' is reportedly back on the UFC roster.

In August, Felder took to Instagram to outline the extent of his hip injury and claimed to have the hips of an "80-year-old man." He also added that an MRI scan confirmed that his hips had no soft tissue left and he was "grinding bone on bone."

However, at the UFC Fight Night 226 pre-fight show earlier this month, Felder confirmed that he's back in the USADA testing pool and stated his intention to fight an opponent that makes sense to him. While Felder was ambivalent about making a full return, he claimed he wants to be prepared in case a matchup materializes.

MMA-based X handle @TheSchmozone recently reported that Paul Felder is now officially back on the UFC roster, and the promotion is looking to book his return for the UFC 300 event. Excited fans soon flocked to the post's comments section to express their thoughts.

One fan jokingly wrote:

"Laura Sanko is excited."

Another fan wrote:

"I’m getting Rocky 5 Mode for the @felderpaul. “One More round”. Let’s goooooo."

One user commented:

"Bro, no."

Check out some more reactions below:

Screenshots from @TheSchmozone on X

---

UFC 300: Paul Felder on re-entering the USADA testing pool

Paul Felder is undeniably one of the UFC's most prominent lightweight contenders in modern history. During his six-year-long tenure in the promotion, Felder fought 15 times and faced some world-class fighters like Charles Oliveira, Mike Perry, and Rafael Dos Anjos.

After going on a two-fight losing streak, he announced his retirement in May 2021. Post-retirement, Felder transitioned into a broadcasting role and currently serves as an analyst and commentator. Before his losing slide, Felder was on an impressive two-fight win streak.

As mentioned, Paul Felder announced his return to the USADA testing pool at the UFC Fight Night 226 earlier this month. After teasing a potential return to the octagon, Felder was asked if he was serious about fighting again. He replied:

"I have no idea. I rolled with Michael [Chiesa] today... I’m back training. I’m enjoying MMA again... I’ve had bad hips for years, but I am back in the USADA testing pool. That’s exactly where I’m at now, but that is it... I did it just in case. I’m getting old, and there might be some old dudes out there who might want to dust it up in six months."