CFFC Origins Full Fight Video: Paul Felder bloodied early, rallies for TKO stoppage in professional debut

Take a deep dive into the archives with CFFC Origins, featuring the promotional debuts of some of CFFC's greatest athletes

In December 2011, Philadelphia's Paul Felder made his professional debut under the Cage Fury Fighting Championships banner. Already making a name for himself in the MMA community as a training partner of Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone, Felder was ready to start carving out his own path as he stepped into the cage at CFFC 12 at Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Felder had to deal with some adversity early on, but he showed his skills in and heart in rallying for a devastating TKO win. It was the first of six wins for Felder, who went 6-0 for the promotion, claiming the CFFC lightweight title and defending once before earning his call to the sport's top organization, the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Felder went 9-6 in the UFC octagon, including three "Fight of the Night" awards and three more "Performance of the Night" bonuses before retiring to focus on his career as an analyst, where he is considered among the best in his craft.

Felder was elected to the CFFC Hall of Fame in 2024.

To see how "The Irish Dragon" began his journey, rewatch the full CFFC 12 fight between Felder and Mtume Goodrum, courtesy of our partners at UFC FIGHT PASS, the digital subscription service of the UFC.