Paul Felder avenged his 2015 loss to Edson Barboza — the first of his career — with a gutsy performance at UFC 242 that earned him a split decision win. Both fighters laid it all out on the line, leaving each other battered and bloodied. In a fight with no visible conclusive winner, the judges scores were all over the place: 30-27, 29-28, and 27-30 in favor of Felder.
The action began almost immediately as Barboza approached with some rapid fire leg kicks, but Felder responded with equal aggression and power. An accidental headbut by Barboza opened up a cut on Felder's forehead, but "The Irish Dragon" was unphased by it.
Round two was more of the same, with both fighters trading powerful blows. Barboza actually scored a takedown in the second round, but he was on the receiving end of a vicious elbow from Felder that left him blooded. He then had to fend off an attempted armbar by Felder before ultimately giving up his position and taking the fight back to their feet.
Edson Barboza entered the third round with his corner believing he was firmly ahead in the scorecards. Despite the confidence, Barboza didn't let it affect his approach and round three continued with both fighters trading blows until the end of the round.
Clearly, Barboza did not agree with the judges on the decision, potentially setting up a rubber match between the two respected fighters.