Paul Felder says Irish fans are turning on Conor McGregor, challenges him to a fight

UFC lightweight contender Paul Felder is challenging Conor McGregor to a fight to determine who the toughest Irish fighter in the UFC is.

Felder, who is an Irish American, claims that Irish MMA fans are turning on McGregor after all of his issues outside of the cage, and he wants to fight him.

Here’s what Felder said in a recent interview with TMZ.

“You’re representing Ireland and you got all these Irish fans behind you but I think they’re turning on you,” Felder said. “If you want to fight somebody’s who’s got that Irish blood in him too who’s an American, why don’t you fight an Irish American? Let’s get the Irish American vs. the real Irishman and see who’s tougher. Our family came over here and bred in America. We’re a lot stronger and tougher. We got a little mixed blood going on here. So if you think you’ve got the chin and the toughness to beat somebody like me, let’s go. You think that left hand is dynamite, I guarantee you can’t put me down with it.”

McGregor recently announced his intentions to return to the Octagon after over a year away from the cage. He is currently in negotiations to fight at UFC 246 against Donald Cerrone, though that fight is not a done deal as of yet. McGregor has not competed in the Octagon since October 2018, when he lost by submission to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229.

As for Felder, he is currently on a two-fight win streak with victories over Edson Barboza and James Vick in his last two fights. He has won five of his last six fights overall and is on a five-fight win streak at lightweight. There’s talk that Felder could have a trilogy fight with Barboza next, but it should come as a shock to no one that he’d rather fight McGregor.

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This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 10/29/2019.