Paul Felder's collapsed lung did not heal on its own, so he was forced to undergo surgery at a local Phoenix hospital Wednesday afternoon, according to Felder's manager Brian Butler. Butler told ESPN the surgery was a success.
Felder suffered the injury in the closing moments of his unanimous decision win over James Vick on Sunday night in Phoenix. He believes the lung was punctured when he took a shot to the ribs.
Butler told ESPN the original hope was for Felder to be discharged Monday, but the injury hasn't healed the way the doctors anticipated.
If the surgery goes well, the new plan is for Felder to be discharged next week, Butler said. The UFC is currently working on flying his family from Philadelphia to be with him, he added.
Felder (16-4) has won four of his past five fights. He was scheduled to work as a color analyst for this weekend's UFC Fight Night Prague event, but he has now been forced to withdraw from his television duties as a result of the extended hospital stay.