Paul Felder was originally set to fight Al Iaquinta next month at UFC 218, but then Iaquinta pulled out of the bout due to an injury.
Iaquinta currently sits at #10 in the UFC Lightweight Division rankings and Felder doesn’t understand how he’s in the spot that he is in.
“I was really pissed,” Felder told MMA Junkie. “Iaquinta’s No. 11 (now #10), and he’s been sitting at the top of that division for a while, and who have you beaten recently to be holding that spot? There’s a whole bunch of us busting our asses to fight guys to get that number next to our names. I think he either needs to (expletive) or get off the pot. Hang up the gloves and sell real estate, or fight.”
Felder is now fighting Charles Oliveira at UFC 218 and neither fighter is going to be ranked heading into the fight.
The unranked lightweight even questions if Iaquinta is actually too injured to face him next month.
“I still don’t know all the details about what he even hurt,” Felder said. “At first I thought he was playing games again and pulled out. Does anybody know what’s hurt? Nobody has. I don’t know if it’s true or not. If he’s really hurt, then obviously I’ll eat my word. But come on, man. I don’t see him training or anything. There’s no posts. It sucks.”
UFC 218 takes place on Saturday, December 2 from the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan with Max Holloway and Jose Aldo headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
