Paul Felder explains why 'Most Violent Fighter' is a dumb and dangerous UFC strategy

If you’re focused more on the title of “Most Violent Fighter” than you are actually winning a UFC belt, have it, Paul Felder said.

That’s just going to leave more opportunities for him to swoop and get an eventual title shot, he recently told MMAjunkie.

Felder (15-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC), who’s fresh off a violent stoppage victory over Charles Oliveira (22-8 MMA, 10-8 UFC) at UFC 218 earlier this month, discussed that strategy when asked about another UFC 218 fight.

Later on that card, after a week of debating the criteria for the unofficial “Most Violent Fighter” title in the UFC, Eddie Alvarez (29-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) scored a a third-round TKO win over fellow slugger Justin Gaethje (18-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) in a bout that lived up to its “Fight of the Night” expectations.

Felder, who balances a promising UFC commentating gig with his fighting career, appreciated the entertainment value the two sluggers provided. He just thinks it’s a flawed strategy, especially when it comes to title shots and career longevity.

“I’m always prepared for a three-round war, but I’m just not trying to be in them,” Felder told MMAjunkie Radio. “You’ve got Eddie, who’s trying to be the ‘Most Violent Guy,’ and Gaethje, who’s looking for an equal. Go ahead. You guys can fight over that. Meanwhile, I’ll silently be knocking everyone out and working my way to the top 10, top five, and sneak right in there and take that title shot from you guys.

“The UFC loves wars, but you know what else they love? Seeing guys being able to fight multiple times a year and finish people.”

And Felder knows a little something about that. He’s won three straight fights, two of which earned “Performance of the Night” honors, and is inching closer to a spot in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA lightweight rankings and official UFC rankings. But the best part?

“That’s three fights in a row where I had just a couple bruises here and there,” he said. “That’s it – no injuries whatsoever.”

Yet, even with Alvarez’s victory – and with Gaethje’s crowd-pleasing effort in the fight – where does that leave them?

“Those guys shouldn’t be fighting for another eight months with the damage that they took,” Felder said.

Check out the full conversation above.

And for complete coverage of UFC 218, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

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