If many fight fans were expecting a fast Conor McGregor win, no-one was expecting that surprise call-out.
McGregor vs. Usman. McGregor vs. Masvidal. McGregor vs. Nurmagomedov. All three fights had been mooted before UFC 246 but how about a ‘McGregor Felder’ contest?
‘The Notorious’ claimed he wanted to accumulate rounds at welterweight in his fight against Donald Cerrone, his first back in the UFC for 15 months, but this game moves fast. An early flurry of shoulders to the face of Cerrone opened the door of victory and McGregor barged right through.
It took the 31-year-old just 40 seconds to secure his first knock out win in the 170 lbs division and, as McGregor later announced, he is the first man to secure KO victories in three divisions. Fighters at feather-, light- and welter-weight have all felt his force.
Incoming ↗️@TheNotoriousMMA in a hurry 👊 pic.twitter.com/hNGT3NThVW
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) January 19, 2020
Following his victory, McGregor spoke with UFC commentator Joe Rogan inside The Octagon. Anyone listening out for specific names in his call-outs would have been in for a surprise.
“You know,” he said, “I like this weight division; I feel really good going up and down [to lightweight].
“God-willing, I came out of here unscathed, I’m in shape. I’d not say I’m there yet; I’ve still got work to do, to get back to where I was.
“So, I’m going to party tonight, spend time with my family, celebrate, and get back into the gym then and train.
“And any one of these mouthy fools can get it, even that little fool at the desk. All them. Every single one of them can get it, Joe, it does not matter. I’m back and I’m ready.”
Sounds like Conor McGregor calling out Paul Felder. pic.twitter.com/ye0bOnFKXN
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) January 19, 2020
UFC president Dana White feels McGregor will gun for that lightweight title of Khabib Nurmagomedov and a rematch from their October 2018 fight. McGregor’s comments suggest he will not wait around for ‘The Eagle’ to conclude his business with Tony Ferguson in April.
UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal, holder of the B.M.F belt, were both in attendance at the event, in Las Vegas, at the cameras quickly flashed to them for reactions:
"Anyone of these mouthy fools can get it!!" – Conor McGregor pic.twitter.com/XPR7Jla7JZ
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) January 19, 2020
The surprise, and specific, call-out from McGregor was directed at ‘that little fool at the desk’. That was in reference to Paul ‘The Irish Dragon’ Felder.
Felder was on the commentary desk, just outside The Octagon, for the UFC and was calling the main event. The 34-year-old Philadelphia native is 17-4 in his MMA career and fights at both lightweight and welterweight. Ahead of the fight, Felder had expressed concern that the hand McGregor broke last summer could hinder him against Cerrone.
McGregor is a sponge for the fight game, and the commentary around it, so it would be no surprise if he had heard some Felder comments and banked them.
Felder was somewhat taken aback to be called out by McGregor but declared he would be more than willing to take ‘The Notorious’ on after he is done with Dan Hooker in his next bout, on February 23.
McGregor versus ‘The Irish Dragon’ Felder later this year? We did not see that one coming.
