Former UFC lightweight contender Paul Felder has replaced Daniel Cormier in the commentary booth for this weekend’s UFC 263 June 12, 2021.
The typical commentary team for UFC pay-per-view cards features Cormier and Joe Rogan as analysts and Jon Anik as the play-by-play man. For UFC 263, however, the promotion has decided to make one change, as Cormier is out of the booth for this event and Felder is in. MMAjunkie.com first reported on the change in the booth. Cormier said earlier this week that he has a family commitment this weekend, which is why he is not working the event.
For Felder, this is a great opportunity for him to commentate on a big stage. “The Irish Dragon” recently announced his retirement from mixed martial arts and has made it clear that his goal is to be one of the best analysts in the game. He’s already one of the best and he has been doing Dana White’s Contender Series and UFC Fight Night cards for years, but now he is getting his chance to be in the booth with Rogan and Anik for a big PPV card.
It will be interesting to see if this change is just a one-time thing or if it’s something permanent going forward. There have been a lot of fans complaining in recent months about the chemistry between Cormier and Rogan in the booth. There were accusations that Cormier was biased in the Israel Adesanya vs. Jan Blachowicz fight back in March, though he refuted that he showed any bias during his commentary. Either way, both Cormier and Felder are a big part of the UFC’s commentary team. Cormier gets the night off this Saturday night and now Felder gets the chance to shine on the big stage.
