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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Paul Felder is still contemplating a potential MMA comeback, but Jim Miller calling him out for UFC 300 may have swayed his decision.

Retired since 2021, Felder spent the past two years serving as a color commentator for the UFC broadcast team, while also engaging in triathlons and dabbling in acting whenever time permits. But after watching “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung walk out for his final fight this past August, Felder became inspired to consider a return to action.

He reentered the UFC’s anti-doping program in August, which requires six months of testing before a retired athlete can compete again, but Felder made it clear that no final decision has been made. It turns out a chance to face a legend like Miller at the historic card in April might just be what Felder needed to convince him to fight again.

“Anybody that knows me or talked to me knew that Jim was the name,” Felder explained after UFC Vegas 84. “If I’m going to do it, I want it to be against a guy like Jim. Somebody that’s around my age, that’s been in the game for a long time. I’m not trying to come back and make a run for the belt or anything like that.”

Felder says he was already hearing calls for the fight with Miller at UFC 300 before the broadcast team sat down to chat with the athletes ahead of Saturday’s event.

Miller submitting Gabriel Benitez and then mentioning Felder as one of his ideal opponents for April during his post-fight interview was the perfect bait to potentially get the Philadelphia native on board for an official comeback.

“If you call me out, Jim, it’s something that I’d be interested in doing,” Felder revealed. “He’s like, ‘If you get me a job sitting next to you at the desk, we’ll make it a deal.’ I think they’ll at least be calling him for an audition coming up soon. When he said that, it’s like, f***, now he’s setting me up, all the things that I said, ‘Well, if he does this, this happens, I’d be interested in doing it.’ I’ve got to get back in the gym and see how things feel.

“That’s why it’s so tough and so tempting and leaning towards wanting to do it. Because it’s — as he wants to be called at UFC 300 — Jim f****** Miller. He’s awesome. He fights awesome. I get to see that fight right in front of my eyes where it’s a leg kick battle, a standup battle primarily. Obviously he finished him on the ground as Jim can do, but if it’s going to be a fight like that, then I think the fans would eat it up. Because you know I’m not shooting any takedowns in there, especially against Jim. I’m not putting my neck on the line like that. It would definitely be a fun fight.”

Of course, Felder wanting the fight and Miller calling for it still doesn’t mean it will happen.

Felder knows that ultimately the decision falls on the UFC, and he’s not certain that the powers that be within the promotion will sign off on the matchup. Miller also named UFC welterweight knockout king Matt Brown as another possible opponent, so Felder may not even get the offer.

“It’s also up to the UFC, too, right? I obviously haven’t pressed the issue,” Felder said. “Sean [Shelby] knew that he wanted to test me out to see if I was being flaky, and I’ve done it in the past where I’m like, ‘I’m coming back! I’m going to make a run for it,’ and do all this and then I just don’t.

“I’ve got to see are they even interested in that fight happening. But to do it on a legendary card like that would be incredible.”

Despite not fighting for over two years, Felder still trains regularly and he’s also gotten involved in endurance sports like marathon racing, triathlons, and Iron Man competitions. He promises he’s in the best shape in his life right now, but those sports aren’t MMA.

For now, Felder will discuss his possible comeback with his wife and his family along with getting back in the gym, while awaiting word from the UFC.

If that call never comes or Felder ultimately decides that he’s just better off retired rather than coming back for another fight, he can’t say that there would be much disappointment. He knows from his own experiences as well as watching and calling fights from cageside that MMA is a brutal, relentless sport that offers no apologies whatsoever.

“Everyone keeps saying, ‘You’re going to regret it if you don’t do it.’ I’m like, I don’t know if that’s true,” Felder said. “Fighting’s hard. It’s hard on the body. It’s hard emotionally. It’s stressful. It’s scary. I’m not jumping back into it and now that I broadcast, I see it all the time. I see how people are weight cutting. I see how people are fight week, the anxiety, the highs and the lows.

“We’re celebrating [Magomed] Ankalaev, but Johnny Walker’s in the back with his nose twisted on the other side of his face. There’s a winner and a loser most times. I don’t think so. If I decide it’s not right, I might look back and think, ‘I should have done it,’ but I won’t hate myself.”

UPDATE: Felder posted a brief update on Instagram that appears to shut down any hope that he’ll get Miller at UFC 300.

“Looks like the Miller fight isn’t actually on the table, per high sources,” Felder wrote. “Oh well. I will continue to push limits in or out of the cage.”

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Unbeaten middleweight contender, Khamzat Chimaev remains steadfast in his claim to a title shot in his return to the Octagon – claiming he was unaware his recent targets, Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis were so scared of him ahead of their own battle at UFC 297 this month.

Chimaev, the current number nine ranked middleweight contender, improved to 13-0 as a professional back in October at UFC 294, turning in a close, majority decision win over former undisputed welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman in his return to active competition.

Landing in the top-10 off the back of his middleweight return victory, Chechen-born contender, Chimaev suffered a hand ligament injury in the opening round of the bout, and has since undergone a surgical procedure to address the setback, as well as battling a worrying, unknown illness.

Eyeing a championship challenge in his immediate return, Chimaev’s claim has been immediately shot down by du Plessis, who questions the validity of his stake, while Strickland has questioned the meritocracy in which he’s earned a tilt recently.

Khamzat Chimaev mocks Strickland et du Plessis

And sure to have a keen eye on UFC 297 later this month ahead of Strickland’s title defense premiere against South African contender, du Plessis, Chimaev claims he wasn’t aware he was “scaring” the duo.

“They have a fight soon, but they both think about me, I didn’t know that I was scaring them so much,” Khamzat Chimaev posted on his official X account. 

Preferring a title defense against arch-enemy, Israel Adesanya – who will be in attendance in ‘The Great White North’ should he defeat Strickland, du Plessis claimed a fight with gold on the line against Chimaev made less than sense. 

“As far as I know Khamzat’s (Chimaev) a welterweight,” Dricus du Plessis said. “What middleweight did he fight? He fought at middleweight, but he fought a welterweight [in Kamaru Usman]. Gerald Meerschaert? When was that? Was he even ranked? No, he wasn’t ranked. So, that makes absolutely no sense.”

“The UFC promised him a title fight?” Dricus du Plessis questioned. “Where in the world does that happen? And he says he’s fighting (Sean) Strickland. No, you’re not. If there’s a champion, if you get a title shot, I’m the champion, You’re not going to get a title shot. And Israel? That makes sense.” 

Do you think Khamzat Chimaev deserves a title fight next?

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Jim Miller can finally consider UFC 300 for his next fight.

Several years ago, the 40-year-old veteran mentioned the historic event as an ideal landing spot for him after already scoring wins at UFC 100 and UFC 200. Following a submission win over Gabriel Benitez at UFC Vegas 84, Miller immediately turned his attention toward the April 13 event, with designs on a showdown against a fellow octagon legend.

Immediately after his win, Miller mentioned Paul Felder or Matt Brown as ideal opponents. In his post-fight press conference, however, he slightly leaned toward a matchup against another UFC record holder after extending his lead for the most wins and most fights in the history of the promotion on Saturday.

“Paul and I almost fought in 2015,” Miller said of Felder. “I think that fight would be brutal. I think that is a brutal fight, me and him locked in a cage for 15 minutes. I also think that Matt Brown fight is amazing as well.

“I think it’s awesome because one, I don’t have to cut weight. Two, he’s the guy with the most finishes at welterweight, I’m the guy with the most finishes at lightweight. That’s a fight for [UFC] 300. Let’s put on a show, let’s go out and entertain. I’m willing to move up in weight for that type of event. It’s not like I’m trying get my rankings up or anything like that. Particularly at 300, I would hop in at any moment if Sean [Shelby] called me for those types of fights — Sean, if you’re watching. I want to put on an epic show with two bad ass dudes who have been around for a bit, and I think Matt might be that guy.”

Brown already answered the call after watching UFC Vegas 84, writing on social media, “I love Jim Miller, would be an honor.”

The Ohio native previously revealed on The Fighter vs. The Writer that he approached UFC matchmakers about competing at UFC 300, and that request was already under consideration. Perhaps now that Miller has specifically called for that fight, Brown may get his wish.

Outside of potentially clashing with Brown at UFC 300, Miller did have one other wish that he would love to come true, especially for such a special night.

Typically, Miller hears his nickname announced as “A10” whenever he’s about to throw down in the octagon, but he has another moniker that he would prefer instead.

Just before former matchmaker Joe Silva retired following the sale of the UFC to Endeavor in 2016, he messaged Miller offering him a fight. It only took a matter of seconds for Miller to respond with an answer saying, “I’m in.”

Silva fired back with one final message saying, “Of course you are … you’re Jim F****** Miller.”

“I don’t know if Bruce [Buffer] will introduce me as Jim ‘F******’ Miller,” Miller said. “I don’t know if he swears when he’s working. He definitely swears when he’s not. I think it would be cool. I think it would be cool to maybe open the pay-per-view with that. I think doing that in front of the T-Mobile full of fans would be awesome. I think that would get me super fired up.

“I earned that nickname. I earned that nickname by the way I do business inside the octagon and even outside. I earned that nickname from a guy that was matchmaking at UFC 2. When Joe Silva calls you that, it’s pretty cool. I’m glad that the fans are behind it. It’s not the easiest nickname to promote, but it’s there.”

After UFC 300, Miller already stated that he has no plans to retire anytime soon, so he’s not setting a time limit on how many more fights he’ll have before calling it a career.

He would still love the chance to fight at home in New Jersey one more time, and beyond that, Miller likes the idea of reaching one more milestone where his career is concerned — and it’s not sticking around until UFC 400.

“Thirty wins would be pretty awesome,” Miller said after earning UFC win No. 26. “That would be really awesome. I’m not really hanging myself on any of the numbers, to be honest. I think that who I am and the legacy that I have isn’t those numbers. It’s how I’ve carried myself through the ups and downs that I’ve had to deal with.

“When a guy like Mike Bisping is complimenting me inside the octagon, it means the world to me. I’m going to continue to do what I’m doing and I’ll make the decision on next steps. Let’s just keep going for now.”

MMA Fighting – All Posts

UFC

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Magomed Ankalaev picked up another big win Saturday and he thinks there’s only one name that makes sense for him next: UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.

In the main event of UFC Vegas 84, Ankalaev scored a nasty knockout of Johnny Walker in the second round to settle their score and possibly position himself as the No. 1 contender at 205 pounds.

Shortly after Ankalaev’s win, Pereira’s longtime coach Glover Teixeira sent out a message on social media suggesting Ankalaev could be next to face the champion. Ankalaev responded with a message of his own at the evening’s post-fight press conference.

“I could have come out here today and wrestled against Johnny Walker,” Ankalaev said via a Russian translator. “I could have taken him down right away and won with my ground-and-pound on the ground, but instead I wanted to send a message. I wanted to stand up and I wanted to knock him out, and that’s what I did.

“Now, for Glover Teixeira, I have a message. Don’t waste your time trying to teach your student how to wrestle or grapple, he’s not going to need it. I’m going to come out there, I’m going to stand across from him, and I know that he’s been knocked out before as a middleweight so imagine what’s going to happen if I meet him in light heavyweight. Trust me, he’s not going to feel comfortable there.”

Ankalaev has been a dominant force in the light heavyweight division, with his lone setback being a literal last-second submission loss to Paul Craig in his UFC debut. Since then, Ankalaev has gone undefeated in 12 consecutive fights. His only blemishes are his no-contest against Walker in their first meeting at UFC 294, and a split draw against Jan Blachowicz at UFC 282.

The fight with Blachowicz was supposed to determine a new light heavyweight champion with a vacant title on the line, but the two battled to a standstill. While Ankalaev was initially upset with the judging, he is no longer preoccupied with the official decision.

“I’ve been considering myself the champ since that fight,” Ankalaev said. “For whatever reason, the judges decided that it was going to be a draw and I didn’t get my chance. Now I have a chance again to fight for the title.

“So if I get to fight against Pereira, I think we’re going to have a great fight. It’s going to be a firefight, it’s going to be an exciting fight, and we’re going to do our job and I’m going to get my title back because I’m already feeling like a champion.”

One significant hurdle in Ankalaev’s way is that Pereira could instead be matched up with former champion Jamahal Hill. Hill defeated Teixeira for the light heavyweight title at UFC 283, seemingly setting up a logical grudge match with Pereira, but Hill had to relinquish the title after suffering an injury this past summer. Whenever Hill is healthy enough to return to action, it’s assumed that he will be at the front of the line for a championship opportunity.

The way Ankalaev sees it, he has a much stronger case than Hill.

“I think here the math works out, the way that I’m more deserving of the belt because I have 10 victories, six of them knockouts, and Jamahal Hill has eight fights total in the UFC,” Ankalaev said. “So it’s just clear that I’m a more deserving contender than Jamahal Hill.”

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Live results for tonight’s UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2 fight card from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas will begin at 4 p.m. ET.  The event is headlined by a light heavyweight clash between Top 10 ranked fighters.  

Third ranked Magomed Ankalaev takes on seventh ranked Johnny Walker in the main event.  In the co-main event, UFC record holder Jim Miller faces Gabriel Benitez 

Start Time: 

• Preliminary fight card begins at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT) 

• Main Card begins at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. ET) on ESPN+

NOTE: Click on the images with the yellow name plates at the bottom of the Fight Analytics window and drag until you see the fight you are interested in. Quick results are located below the Fight Analytics window. Stats are updated in real time.

UFC Fight Night 234 Results & Analytics

UFC Fight Night 234 Official Results

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

• Magomed Ankalaev def. Johnny Walker via TKO (punches) at 2:42, Round 2
• Jim Miller def. Gabriel Benitez via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:25, Round 3
• Mario Bautista def. Ricky Simon via unanimous decision  (30–27, 30–27, 29–28)
• Brunno Ferreira def. Phil Hawes via KO (punches) at 4:55, Round 1
• Waldo Cortes-Acosta def. Andrei Arlovski via unanimous decision  (29–28, 29–28, 29–28)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)

• Preston Parsons def. Matthew Semelsberger via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)
• Marcus McGhee def. Gaston Bolanos via TKO (spinning wheel kick and punches) at 3:29, Round 2
• Farid Basharat def. Taylor Lapilus via unanimous decision  (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)
• Jean Silva def. Westin Wilson via TKO (punches) at 4:12, Round 1
• Nikolas Motta def. Tom Nolan by TKO at 1:03, Round 1
• Joshua Van def. Felipe Bunes by TKO at 4:31, Round 2

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