Gallery Mike Perry def. Paul Felder at UFC 226: Best photos view 19 images

Paul Felder plans on bringing the heat against James Vick as he attempts to return to the win column Sunday at UFC on ESPN 1.

Felder’s fight career in 2018 was not ideal, and he’s looking to get past it. He had three canceled fights, lost the only time he was able to compete, and suffered a broken arm in that matchup. That all came on the heels of a 2017 run that saw him go 3-0, and Felder (15-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) is hoping to return to form.

“I’m just focused on this fight,” Felder told MMAjunkie Radio. “I want to get back into those rankings and make my run this year. Last year was a rough year all around just because of setbacks, a loss, injury. … Right now I’m just focused on getting in there and kicking ass.”

After losing to Mike Perry in a short-notice welterweight contest at UFC 226 in July, Felder returns to lightweight for the UFC on ESPN 1 co-headliner against Vick (13-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC), which takes place at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix and airs on ESPN following early prelims on ESPN+.

Vick is among the more challenging fighters to share the octagon with. At 6-foot-3, he is tied for being the tallest member of the 155-pound weight class. Getting through his reach is a difficult task, but Felder thinks he can handle it, much like Justin Gaethje did when he finished Vick inside one round at UFC Fight Night 135 last August.

“There’s always concern (because) everyone brings something different to the table,” Felder said. “With Vick, it’s his distance and how he moves away and his kicks and his jab and his right uppercut. There’s always something different about the approach. Without giving a gameplan away, you’ve got to learn how to get inside and attack it. Just going to channel that Mike Tyson in me, baby. Going to get inside and rip hooks and batter him wherever I can.”

Felder’s sole focus ahead of UFC on ESPN 1 is to overcome Vick for his first victory since December 2017. Winning the fight does play into his great overall scheme, though, and that’s to establish himself as a top lightweight contender by the end of the year.

Currently Felder is No. 14 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA lightweight rankings. He hopes he can leapfrog a few spots by taking out No. 11 Vick, which would ultimately set the stage for big moves going forward.

“The way the division is, I think three wins in 2019 puts me close to a title eliminator and getting that,” Felder said. “If I beat Vick, I think that puts me close to the top 10. I wouldn’t be fighting outside the top 15 at that point. I think it puts me close to the top five with three wins in 2019.”

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