Paul Felder was sprinting on the treadmill five days ago when his phone lit up.
The call disrupted his four-and-a-half-mile run, but there was a lucrative offer behind the interruption. A staph infection had prevented Islam Makhachev from competing in the UFC Fight Night card, leaving Rafael dos Anjos without an opponent in tonight’s main event.
Felder was already scheduled to be cageside in Vegas as part of the commentary team, but now was presented the opportunity to step into the Octagon on five days’ notice to take on the former Lightweight Champion.
“The first step was to check my weight, and it was where it needed to be,” said Felder, who made weight for the fight.