Former UFC fighter turned commentator Paul Felder is gearing up for a trip to Perth tomorrow ahead of UFC Fight Night 260 on September 27. Joining him on the commentary desk is expected to be none other than Joe Rogan, setting the stage for an electrifying broadcast as Carlos Ulberg, Dominick Reyes, and the rest of the card step into the octagon.
But before Felder could even set foot in Australia, his travel plans hit an unexpected snag thanks to the unfortunate violence in the Middle East. Speaking on The Michael Bisping Podcast, ‘The Irish Dragon’ revealed that he had to alter his flight path due to the Israeli airstrike in Doha, Qatar, on September 9, 2025.
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Paul Felder didn’t want to take the risk
As the podcast neared its close earlier today, Michael Bisping asked Paul Felder about his flight path so they could commiserate over travel struggles. “Originally, I was going to go to Doha…,” Felder told Bisping. His initial plan was to fly from Philadelphia to Doha, spend a 10-hour layover in Qatar’s capital, and then head directly to Perth.
“But as we’re getting closer to this flight, I’m texting Zach and traveling. I’m like, there’s some conflicts that are still happening over there. There’s been some military action in Doha,” Felder recalled. The situation reminded him of the Iranian missile strike in June that targeted Al Udeid Air Base near Doha.
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At the time, Felder had just returned from Baku, Azerbaijan, after covering Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. “And obviously when we were coming back from Baku, not too long after that, Doha got bombed and they had to shut down the airport,” he added. Given the risks, Felder decided to change course.
“I’m like, I’m there for 10 hours. Do I want to risk this flight path just to maybe have less flight to take cuz it would have been to Doha, big layover, but then direct to Perth. So I wouldn’t have had to get on as many planes.” Instead, Felder will now travel from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, then on to Sydney before finally reaching Perth.
The switch, however, came with a silver lining. “But Michael Rechi is on all my same flights once I get to LA. So it’s like I got a little travel buddy, one of our producers. He’s a good friend of ours. I’m excited now. I don’t have to do it alone,” Felder told Bispng during the podcast. While Felder had to find a different way to Perth, the card faced its own problem.
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UFC Perth hit with fight cancellation
With less than a week remaining, the UFC has confirmed that Junior Tafa vs. Ibo Aslan has been pulled from the upcoming card in Perth, Australia. According to reports, Tafa, whose own UFC run has also included short-notice appearances, was forced to pull out of the fight due to injury, leaving the co-main event slot vacant.
So, this begs the question: Who is in the co-main event now? Well, the September 27 event will still headline a potential light heavyweight title eliminator between Carlos Ulberg and former title challenger Dominick Reyes. Meanwhile, there won’t be a co-main fight, making the loss of Tafa a major blow to the lineup.
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Such setbacks have given the event an almost cursed aura. But will that streak of misfortune linger all the way to fight night? And when it comes to handling chaotic circumstances like these, what do you make of Paul Felder’s experience?