The TKO loss marked the tenth in Pulver’s last fourteen bouts. After losing five straight in the WEC, Pulver was released from the organization. He went 2-2 on the local scene at 145 before dropping to 135 in August. “Lil Evil” seemed to pump new life into his career at bantamweight, finishing veteran Coty Wheeler in the second round, but this latest loss proves to be another set back for the former UFC lightweight champ.

Pulver took to twitter after the bout and apologized to fans, saying, “Sorry to all who support me, I half-assed the training and got wrecked deservedly so.”

With this victory, Elliot has now won seven fights in a row after going winless in his first three professional bouts.

PHOTO CREDIT – WEC

After falling on hard times and being released by Zuffa following seven losses in eight fights, Pulver took a long look in the mirror to try and re-discover himself. It didn’t come to him right away as he continued to struggle to get over a “mental hurdle” but in his last bout, his bantamweight debut against Coty Wheeler, we saw the return of the Jens that fight fans fell in love with.

“I was dialed in as ever in my last fight,” Pulver revealed Pulver in an exclusive interview with Five Ounces of Pain. “I almost got hit with an uppercut because I heard my corner so clearly that I actually turned and looked at them and he fired a shot that nearly caught me. Then I heard the guys say, ‘don’t look at us’ and I remember yelling, ‘MY BAD!’”

Before he dropped to 135 in August, Pulver was once again on the losing end of things back in May when he was submitted in just 22 seconds against Armando Amezcua. In his post-fight interview, Jens defended his desire to continue fighting by saying, “I’ll retire on my own terms.”

Jens defended his comments saying, “I appreciate people saying they want me to retire, as long as they have a good reason and are looking out for me. But, I’m losing to submissions. I’ll be grappling until I can’t walk. They’re safe. I’m not going out there and watching my chin turn to butter and going out there and getting hit by guys not known for power and going to sleep for 10 minutes.”

According to Jens, physically he feels fine, but mentally he hasn’t been at the top of his game in some time. “The mental side of me died a while back and I have to find that guy,” said Pulver.

After over 40 career fights, main events, and UFC titles, it’s hard to believe that Pulver could lack mental toughness, but to hear him explain things, they begin to make sense.

“With so many years losing, I just had tunnel vision where I just wanted out of there. Either I knock them out quick or I got caught and I wanted out. I didn’t want to be in there. It’s like getting into a bad car wreck and when you get back into that card, you just want out. You’re not hearing anything. You’re not even hearing yourself, that inner fire just died. I’ve never been through something like that but it’s a bad situation. This last fight, I’ve never paid more attention to the mental side of things. I even had key words I kept saying to myself like ‘Bojangles’ which is my daughters nickname. So whenever I felt great in practice, that’s what I would say. It dialed me in.”

His victory over Wheeler marked the first time that Pulver had finished an opponent with strikes since 2006. Now training at Team Curran with jiu-jitsu expert Jeff Curran, Pulver has spent a lot of time working on his grappling but says that his striking felt better than ever against Wheeler.

“That was the first time in awhile I was like, ‘Wow, there it is.’ I was setting things up, moving to the right, continuing to circle, making him miss. My defense was on and I could see everything he was about to throw. It took a whole year to get there but it felt good.

“I kept telling myself that I was going to knock this guy out. He’s known for his chin and I was going out there to show everyone at this weight that, ‘I’m here, lets get it poppin’”

Jens is hopeful for a UFC return, but admits that he hasn’t talked to UFC president Dana White in some time. “I haven’t had communications with Dana White in I don’t know how long. That’s a busy guy.” He knows what he has to do in order to make another appearance in the octagon though, saying, “What it boils down to is proof. I can ask for it all day but if I can’t go out there and prove it then wants the point? I just gotta keep knocking people out and see what happens. It’d be a good way to say goodbye.”

Set for May 27, the event will be broadcast live on HDNet with a likely start time of 10:00 PM EST on the MMA-friendly network.

A former UFC lightweight title-holder and current fan favorite, “Little Evil” will be looking for his third consecutive win after losing six straight between 2008-2010 brought about talk of his necessary retirement from the sport. Pulver will face 10-2 Mike Powell at the event, a well-rounded competitor who has found success in his previous three fights including two by way of first round knockout.

Meanwhile, hard-hitting Drew McFedries will attempt to bring his win column to double-digit status at the show when he faces Strikeforce alumnus Darryl Cobb. The 5-2 Cobb is coming off a submission defeat but hasn’t been knocked out in five years so his stand-up could prove challenging for the 32-year old striker.

PHOTO CREDIT – ZUFFA/TITAN FC

Building off his victory at a Chicago-area event in January, Pulver beat Wade Choate by way of split decision this past Saturday night at Chicago Cagefighting Championship’s show in Villa Park, Illinois.

Though Choate is only 13-13 in his career it should be said Pulver injured his foot in the opening round. While the extent of the damage was not revealed pictures of Pulver’s foot showed significant swelling/bruising.

The win brought Pulver’s overall record to 24-14-1 and added to a resume already including impressive names like Caol Uno and B.J. Penn.

Former WEC bantamweight champ Chase Beebe also found success at the CCC event making it three straight for Beebe since falling to Hiroyuki Takaya at DREAM 16 last September.

Comparably, the stumble dropped Lindquist’s record to 6-20 and was his fifth consecutive defeat in the first round. Thirteen of his losses have been the result of a submission.

While beating an individual who opened up his career by dropping seven straight may not measure up to some of the other success the fan-favorite has experienced in his career, the victory was certainly considerable for Pulver who overcame a bit of early adversity relating to a cut before eventually locking in a fight-ending Rear Naked Choke.

Fans hoping the 36-year old Pulver might decide to retire on last night’s high note will be disappointed while there is good news for those desiring at least one more in-ring appearance from the featherweight striker. Rather than hang his gloves up for good, Pulver is scheduled to fight in a few months at a Chicago Cagefighting Championships event. Chase Beebe is also set for action at the March 5 show.

A run of recent losses most fighters only have nightmares about, especially those who have experienced the career highs of Pulver, have increased the volume of those calling for his retirement from the ring. Regardless, “Little Evil” appears ready to hang his gloves up on his terms, not those of fans or media, and as such will see action again on January 22 at XFO 38 in the Chicago area.

No opponent has been named as of this report.

The 22-14-1 Pulver has tasted defeat in eight of his last nine bouts including seven by way of either TKO or submission with three-quarters of the losses taking place inside of the fight’s first frame. Compounding woes, the former Team Miletich member hasn’t won in three years. However, prior to his misfortune Pulver was considered one of the tougher draws in MMA with past wins in the Octagon over Caol Uno, Dennis Hallman, and B.J. Penn, as well as a number of knockouts to his credit.

Perhaps most notably, former UFC heavyweight champ Tim Sylvia officially measured in at 274 pounds. The number is actually thirty pounds down from his weight in his last bout, against Mariusz Pudzianowski at Moosin last May, and only twelve pounds heavier than he was in his final Octagon appearance against Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira in February 2008.

“War on the Mainland” features Sylvia and Paul Buentello locking horns over the PWP Heavyweight Championship, as well as UFC veteran Jason Lambert fighting late replacement Tony Lopez for the light heavyweight belt and former IFL 185-pound champ Matt Horwich facing submission-specialist Thales Leites for the middleweight title.

Additionally, former UFC Lightweight Champion Jens “Little Evil” Pulver and hard-hitting journeyman Terry Martin are slated for action at the show. Pulver measured in at 155.4 pounds, meaning his recent run at featherweight appears to be over, while Martin came in at an even 170 pounds in preparation for his bout against 16-6-1 Jorge Ortiz.

The official results of the weigh-ins are as follows:

A.J. Matthews (168.8 lbs) vs. Sean Choice (169.4 lbs)
Todd Willingham (154.8 lbs) vs. Cleber Luciano (153.8 lbs)
Joao Silva (153.4 lbs) vs. Erin Beach (154.4 lbs)
Jorge Ortiz (169 lbs) vs. Terry Martin (170 lbs)
Gustavo Machado (185.8 lbs) vs. Rick Reeves (183 lbs)
Jens Pulver (155.4 lbs) vs. Diego Garijo (153.8 lbs)
Matt Horwich (185.4 lbs) vs. Thales Leites (184.6 lbs)
Jason Lambert (203.8 lbs) vs. Tony Lopez (204.6 lbs)
Tim Sylvia (274.4 lbs) vs. Paul Buentello (251.6 lbs)*

* – Bout is being contested with 275-pound maximum rather than the standard 265-pound limit for heavyweights

The news come courtesy of a report by Michael David Smith of AOL’s MMA Fanhouse, who is quoting officials with the WEC.

The Pulver vs. Grispi joins a deep WEC 41 lineup that already includes WEC featherweight champion Mike Thomas Brown defending his title vs. former champion Urijah Faber, Donald Cerrone vs. Richard Crunkilton in a lightweight bout, and former UFC lightweight Manny Gamburyan making his WEC debut vs. John Franchi.

Pulver, 22-11-1, is a former UFC lightweight champion who has fallen on tough times recently losing his last three consecutive fights as well as having sustained defeats in five out of his last six fights. The 34-year old Washington native is considered a true lighter weight pioneer and holds notable career victories over B.J. Penn, Dennis Hallman, Caol Uno, and Joe Stevenson.

Grispi is a 20-year Massachusetts native who is 12-1 overall in his career. Currently on an eight fight win streak, Grispi is 2-0 while competing under the WEC banner and holds wins over Micah Miller and Mark Hominick.

WEC 41 will air on the Versus Network and will emanate from the Arco Arena, home to the NBA’s Sacramento Kings.

Soon, the WEC will have 125 pounders on their cards and Jens couldn’t be more excited. I caught up with him a few days ago and we talked about fighting, the WEC, WAMMA, the UFC, Monte Cox, and Strikeforce.

As you will read, the former UFC lightweight champion had a lot on his mind.

Gary Wimsett: When was the first time you realized you had knockout punching power?

Jens Pulver: I don’t know if it was so much I realized I had knockout punching power but I remember being in Idaho with my first ever boxing coach who held mitts for me and I just started punching them and he was real excited when the workout was done, and was like “Wow, you know you’ve got a lot of power,” and I was throwing these big hooks you know, fighting like a brawler. Punching like a brawler. And he was like, “man, once you learn to dial that in.” So I was like “OK, I guess I can hit hard cause otherwise he wouldn’t be saying anything to me.” Then I went to my first fight, they didn’t even have my weight class, and people were telling me that I needed to go out there and make a statement and to do that I was going to need to do it with my standup first.

You have to remember I come from a wrestling background, and the guy who was cornering me said look, you’ve got to stand up with this guy, so I had never had any real boxing fights but I went to my first boxing invitational and I would hit a guy and he would fall and I started enjoying it.

Gary Wimsett: If you weren’t making a living as a professional fighter, what would you be doing?

Jens Pulver: I was a wrestling coach at a high school. I was working with kids. That’s what I want to do. It’s what I want to do now. Even after fighting, I want to work with troubled kids and give them an opportunity. I want to give them a shot at life and I don’t want them to think doors are closed. I don’t want them to think they don’t have any opportunities because that’s what people and coaches did for me. They were there to push me and direct me and show me that hard work pays off. I’ve always wanted to do that because of the life I grew up in and I want to make sure that kids who’ve maybe been in trouble, you know, don’t douse out there candle, people can get through things and overcome things. It’s something I need to do. How? I’m not 100% sure but I know it’s something I have to do.

Gary Wimsett: Can you compares the differences between the boxing business and MMA business?

Jens Pulver: Not a lot of difference really. You’ve got to get out there and you’ve got to perform. If you win they bring you back. If you lose in good fashion they bring you back. Really that’s how it is. They’re not much different.

Gary Wimsett: If you had only more fight, who?

Jens Pulver: I don’t care. It’s the way I want to go out – that’s what I care about. It’s whomever they tell me to fight. I don’t have a “dream fight,” every fight is fun to me. Especially now, I’m happy to continue. I’m learning how to fight for different reasons. I’m having fun – trying at least. So I don’t think about any one opponent I want to get my hands on. There’s a certain way I want to perform and I haven’t been able to do that these last three fights. So it’s a big question. Can I get back to where I was? Can I turn back the clock to when I was a confident world champion who could beat whoever they put in front of me? Can I get that back? That’s what I’m after. That’s my dream.

Gary Wimsett: Is there a particular fighter you admire?

Jens Pulver: How can you not admire Randy Couture? He’s done great things. Especially as an older man competing with the young bucks. He gives all of us hope. And, to be honest, even though his last fight didn’t go the way he wanted it to, I admire B.J. Penn a lot. I have a lot of respect for what he’s done. I said I woke a sleeping dragon and he’s done nothing but prove me right. You know, we win and we lose fights. From where he was five years ago, kind of hanging out and not really caring what weight he fought at and then getting serious going after and getting that belt, he trounced the world at 155 and set up a big fight with GSP at 170. I admire his determination, drive and desire.

Gary Wimsett: Talk a little about “Vaseline Gate?”

Jens Pulver: If it’s true it sucks and from the looks of it, it’s true. That’s weak man. Grease is supposed to go on your eyes, not your neck, not your back, not your arms, not your chest, not your stomach, you know. Let me take a dive into a vat of Vaseline. I’ll go up against the greatest grappler as well. Did it affect the outcome? It had to make it frustrating for him not to be able to hold his high guard. Was GSP going to win that fight regardless? I don’t know. B.J. was getting tired but he was getting tired because he couldn’t hold that high guard. There are a lot of aspects to it. George won the fight and you know they raised his hand at the end. If greasing was a factor then that’s terrible. I wanted B.J. to win that fight.

Gary Wimsett: In your mind, who is the best pound-for-pound fighter?

Jens Pulver: Anderson Silva, for sure.

Gary Wimsett: Do you check in at MMA websites?

Jens Pulver: I’ll go to MMA Weekly when I want to see what’s going on, and then I go straight to my WEC site and check that out, and my MySpace page: The real “Lil Evil,” not the three imposters. Every now and then I’ve been known to stop by the Underground and just read what people are posting but I don’t really pay much attention.

Gary Wimsett: Are you at all surprised by popularity of MMA?

Jens Pulver: No way. I knew it was going to be big. I bet my life on this sport years ago. I was there when they didn’t even have the weight classes. I started when then didn’t have rules. They were just starting to clean the rules up. I was there when it was only legal in three states. And it wasn’t even on TV. It wasn’t anywhere. I had to believe in it. If I didn’t I wouldn’t have done this for a living. People thought I was crazy. No one knew what it was. I believed in it. I backed it up a long time ago. Yeah, I truly believed in this sport. I quit my job. Moved to Iowa and put it all on the line.

Gary Wimsett: What about the level of knowledge that exists with fans?

Jens Pulver: I love the fans. Back in the day, I remember when there’d be a take down and people would be booing. It seemed like they wanted boxing matches. They wanted to see knockouts. I was like; “you need to go to a Toughman if that’s what you want to see.” Sloppy people punching each other – you’ve got to go to Toughman.

I came from a wrestling background. People used to hate the ground game but now they’ll clap and cheer when they see good scrambles and good groundwork. They get excited when they know someone is damaging on the ground. They know there are submission attempts. They used to hate it though and then Royce Gracie would get someone in a triangle choke and the fans would be like, wait . . . what? Now, they respect the ground game. They get excited about a good game. Good submission attempts. They’ve come along away, just like the sport.

Gary Wimsett: Tell me about Monte Cox.

Jens Pulver: Monte Cox is my best friend. No ifs, ands or buts about it. He’s an unbelievable individual. I love his family. They’re the only reason I’m staying in Iowa. I want to be with family and when I say that, I mean no offense to my immediate family, they know I love them. I just love being around the Cox family. He knows the sport. He’s got a lot of contacts and a lot of people know him – for a reason – he’s a standup individual.

The smartest thing I ever did was to come out to be with Monte. A lot of people think I moved out here to be with Pat and the camp but that wasn’t the case at all. The fact was they just happened to be out here in the same place. I moved out here for Monte. It was hard to find fights back then and Monte was the man that could make it happen. He’s the reason I stay out here.

Now, a lot of people want to tear him down but he’s taken guys from the bottom to the top. Try not being in the UFC and you’ll see if Monte’s worth his money. Try doing this as a job and not be in the UFC and then you’ll see how bad you’ll miss Monte Cox. Every other agent, manager, whatever you want to call them, every one of them out there, they have to call around to get their guys fights. Every promotion under the sun calls Monte when they need a fighter. They know if you bring in one of Monte’s guys they are going to be ready, they’ll be game, and they won’t back down from anybody you put in front of them. The proof is in the job he does. I would take Monte every time. He’s honest. And he gets people fights. Period. He’s phenomenal.

Not even the UFC has had the same owners since the beginning. The same man has owned Extreme Challenge since the very beginning – Monte Cox. It’s been the most successful show as far as longevity. He’s been around from the very beginning. He doesn’t have a red phone in his office that goes straight to Dana White. He builds his guys. They go out and fight in the Extreme Challenge and when they get to a certain level, every promoter knows a Monte Cox guy is going to be ready. Look at Rich Franklin, look at Matt Hughes. Every time, his fighters are always ready to fight. He’s worked his butt off and he deserves that recognition.

People come in now with their hate and their gossip and the rumors – they are just doing anything that they can do to get their names out there to get their fighters in there because the reality is whatever else they are doing isn’t working for them.

Gary Wimsett: What are your thoughts on WAMMA?

Jens Pulver: I don’t really understand what WAMMA is supposed to do. If WAMMA’s here to help fighters and fans and help the sport – then great. I know they’ve got good people involved with Pat [Miletich] and Randy [Couture] but I think they need to educate people better, educate the fighters because, right now, it’s all good in theory but what are they going to do? There’s only one UFC. There are no other shows at that level. Ask any fighter who starts out – they want to work their way up to a world championship in the UFC. Then you are a world champion – the best there is.

And it doesn’t matter if they came from Pride or Cage Rage or Affliction – it just doesn’t matter. Everybody wants to be a part of the UFC. That’s what makes the WEC so beautiful for the little guys. It’s not the minor league; it’s the real league. It’s the biggest thing on the planet for the little guys. Everybody wants to be a WEC champion now.

Is WAMMA going to help other shows build up? I don’t know. Unification of titles? Which titles? They haven’t really explained that to me. And, the fighter’s union and things like that – that’s great, I would love to see it happen some day but to be honest . . . it won’t.

The reality in this sport, from the beginning until now, is that you’ve got to put up or shut up. There are about 150 people at 155 pounds that are ready to take my spot. If you don’t like the way the UFC does business, you can go. Find someplace else to fight and they’ll put someone else in.

So I don’t know what WAMMA can do. Right now, there is no other organization. There’s no other place to go. No other organizations even carry the lighter weight classes. If there were other gigantic promotions out there pushing 145’ers, pushing 155’ers, — but there aren’t. Affliction pushes big guys.

When those questions get answered, then WAMMA can become more relevant in my world and in the world of anyone who weighs 170 pounds or less.

Gary Wimsett: What are your thoughts on Strikeforce?

Jens Pulver: They’ve yet to have a show under the new group but don’t get me wrong; I’m excited to have it, in theory. The idea is phenomenal. But there’s no mountain to climb. In the WEC there is. When these other shows do decide to include the little guys and they announce their official weight classes, and they say they’re going to start getting guys belts and making them champions, now, OK, you can have champion versus champion. But where’s champion versus champion in any organization at 145 besides the WEC? There isn’t one.

I hope to God that Coker does believe in the little guys. Because, I believe in the little guys and the WEC believes in the little guys and they’ve been pretty successful so far. The fans want to see the little guys. When heavyweights failed in boxing – what’s kept boxing alive? The lighter weights. I go to see those fights – everyone watches those fights. I am the pioneer of the lighter weight classes. I’m the voice of 155, 45, 35, and 25.

Gary Wimsett: Can you talk about being a new dad?

Jens Pulver: Yeah. I had my second child – my son in December. It’s amazing. It means a lot to me. It’s pretty incredible. Ten years ago, looking back, I would have said, “please, I’m not having kids, I’m not even getting married.” But now, it’s been the highlight of my life. From the life I grew up in. All the times. All the prayers. All the times I thought to myself I can’t wait to be in this situation where I’m the father and I would never, ever, ever be that way to my kids. And every day, now, I get to prove that. I sit back now and I’m like “man, I can’t believe my dad ever hit me. How? How do parents hit their kids? How in God’s name could you ever do something like that so someone that little.” That’s what pushes me and drives me. They are my saviors in some respects. They get to save the little kid in me that was killed by my father basically.

Gary Wimsett: Will any other promotion be able to challenge the UFC?

Jens Pulver: I’m excited to see if people can make something happen. But a lot of people, they come in and they put on shows and they are not ready to take the hits in the beginning. They say well, we’re going to put some lights on, we’re going to put a cage in the middle of this arena here, and we’re going to pay this guy huge amount of money and we’re going make $2 million dollars. We’re going to get rich off this. But people have a short memory, back in the day, the Fertittas were losing $1.5 million per show. But they believed in the product that was coming at the end of it. And now everybody sees it. But they have to have that same business savvy and that same understanding that you may not make money on the first couple.

Why pay a guy $1.5 million? You are not going to draw them that way. You are not going to make your money back. Affliction could have made money on two shows if their purses weren’t six times what their gate was. I’m hopeful and excited about Strikeforce – I can’t wait to see what they are going to do. I hope they do well. I’ve been in the sport 10-11 years and I’ve seen so many come and go. The EliteXC had everybody excited as well. And they made some stupid moves and it cost them – where are they at now? Are these new promotions going to stick through the bad times and battle to the good because I know the UFC did. I was there. I watched it. I’m not being negative at all. I’m excited. The more we have the better we are. If I can help them out, absolutely I will. I want to see the sport grow.

People always say to me wow, MMA’s so big. MMA’s not big. The UFC is big. The WEC is getting big. Take Affliction and put them in North Dakota, put whomever you want on the card, it won’t sell out. Put the UFC in North Dakota, it’ll be sold out before the show even opens.

If MMA is so big, then why is that a reality? If the sport’s going to get big, it needs to be about who you have on the card – that’s what sells it out. But you can put anybody on a UFC card and people are going to go, they know what it is because they’ve seen it on TV. The UFC has become a household name. Fighters in the UFC, in the process, have become household names. I’ve been a part of that. But if I fought for someone else, “hey, I’m an MMA fighter” . . . “So?” I can pull out eight guys that are better fighters than me, technically, that no one’s ever heard of and they probably have 40 fights. But none of them have been in the UFC so people don’t know who they are. That’s why everyone wants to be at the UFC or the WEC. So, I’m behind them 100%.

Sure, let’s get this sport big and that’s where it comes down to the other promoters – do they have the guts, grit and determination to hang in through the bad times. I’m not being the dark cloud or Mr. Negative, you just have to look at all the shows that have come and gone. Where are they now? It’s that simple. It’s a question everyone should be asking. In theory it’s all great.

I’m an advocate for the little guys. I want to build the little guys. I don’t want to see anybody walking around saying “No, I’m too small to be an MMA fighter.” Thank God – the WEC – and I love them for it – they are bringing out a 125. I’m excited for that. More than my own fights. Wait to you see these little buzz saws go at it.

So, yeah, I’m excited about Strikeforce. Affliction? Sure, I’m glad they’re here. You want to unify them? Great. They don’t even have a 145 champion so what do I care? If I was a heavyweight I’d be all about it.

Gary Wimsett: Do you have any pre-fight rituals?

Jens Pulver: I spend a lot of time worrying about losing to dumb things, getting caught by dumb things. So I spend that week before really trying to shut myself up, more or less. Throw away the hesitations, throw away the fears. People think it’s easy to walk in there but it’s tough. You are thinking, “I don’t want to get caught in this, I don’t want to get caught in that.” You have to learn to chuck the “what ifs.” So, weight cutting helps me get my mind off of things. I enjoy cutting the weight and the weigh-ins and things like that because it takes my mind off things. Because once that’s over, it’s like “Oh here we go, fight time”! And you have to be ready to flip that switch and get in there and fight.

Gary Wimsett: How about post-fight rituals?

Jens Pulver: I do what I’ve always done. I go to be with my family. Based on the last three fights, I do a whole lot of apologizing. Not that they make me. I just want to be around them. I want to see the fans. I blow fans’ minds. I’m ready to hang out with them. I’m a fan of the show. Then I go home and hang out with my kids – that’s my release.

Gary Wimsett: How do you think MMA fans will remember you?

Jens Pulver: I’m down to earth, fan friendly, I fought hard every time. I went out on my shield. I’ve never made excuses. I’ve never hid from anybody. I’ve worn my emotions on my sleeve. When they broke my heart during that interview after my last loss and I teared up a little, that’s real. I’m real. I’m approachable and I appreciate my fans more than they can ever know. I hope that’s what they remember. Maybe they’ll say I was a pioneer for the little guys and “man, that guy could talk.”

Back in September of 2006 we were all shocked when Pulver fell victim to Joe Lauzon at just 0:48 of the very first round at UFC 63. At the time it was chalked up as a fluke. Pulver just got caught at the worst time possible but he would be able to bounce back no problem.

Since then Pulver has found himself matched up against some of the top talent in the MMA world, losing to B.J. Penn, Faber (twice), and Leonard Garcia. All of those opponents are top five talent in their respective divisions and there is no shame in losing to them. Pulver’s lone victory came against Cub Swanson way back in December 2007. Despite Swanson’s impressive 13-2 record, the win has done very little for Pulver’s public perception.

With that being said it’s time to piece together the facts. Pulver has lost five of his last six fights. In those losses Pulver has only made it out of the second round once when he went the distance with Faber at WEC 34. The times of his first round losses are as follows; 0:48 (KO), 1:12 (TKO), and 1:34 (submission).

Despite the fact he is facing some of the best talent in the world, it’s obvious Pulver hasn’t been a factor at all in his losses for the most part. At times we’ve see a glimpse of the older Pulver, as we saw in his first encounter with Faber, but that’s all it is, a glimpse.

The sad truth is that in every profession everyone hits the proverbial wall. At some point your production goes down and your time doing what you love reaches its final few seconds. Some will argue that Pulver hasn’t reached that age, but there’s one more thing you must take into consideration.

There’s an idea of having Pulver fight lower level competition that’s been floating around the internet message boards. Allow him to regain his old form by facing the bottom rung of the WEC featherweight division. But is that something you really want to see?

To have him hang onto his fighting career for dear life could be more painful to watch than his last few encounters have been. If he can pile up a few wins it’ll prolong his career what, a few more months, before he has to tangle again with the likes of Faber, Mike Thomas Brown, and Wagnney Fabiano. And when those names are looking at him from across the cage what will the outcome be? Will he be able to conjure up the “Lil’ Evil” of yesteryear? Or will we see what Pulver really is, a legend battling father time?

Pulver will surely have a battle like he’s never been in before over the course of the next few months, but this one will take place in his mind and his soul. Does he still want to keep fighting or can he walk away from the sport that he loves, and what is truly his life?

Surely he would have liked to walk out on top but rarely in sports and life is anyone able to walk away while on the mountain top. Right now we are only at the beginning of the end of Pulver’s career but the road to the end will be a steep and sudden fall. If he were to talk away now we would remember him only as a legend, who fought the best the world had to offer until the very end. But if Pulver is to keep fighting at the level he is right now, the last memories we will have of him will be heartbreaking. We won’t remember the great fighter he once was, we will remember him as someone who couldn’t get out when the time was right.

The fall of a legend is really the last thing any of us want to see. As sad as it is to say, Pulver it’s time to call it a career, a career that many will never be able to replicate.

In a candid message to his fans released on his official website, Pulver expressed uncertainty as to what his next move will be.

“I never meant to get all emotional in the interview after the fight but when he asked me if I am still relevant it got me thinking,” wrote Pulver. “I could hear the crowd and boy I have to tell you it was loud and really started to move me inside that cage. Thus the ‘F’ bomb at the end. I guess I was saying that to myself just happened to be out loud.

“There is nothing but doubt running through my mind, wondering if I am hanging on to long or am I really just at the point of turning things around. I do feel great when I am getting prepared (but I) just had so many things going against me this time it was tough to get away for a good solid two months to give myself the best chance of winning. I do not know where I am (going to) go from here and I do not know if you all just watched the last fight for ‘Lil Evil.”

A contrite Pulver apologized for the loss and also indicated that he will return home and in order to consider whether he will continue his storied career.

“I love this sport and I have loved watching it grow and become bigger and bigger as each month passes,” he continued. “I guess it is time to just go home and figure out where to go next. I can say this it has been an honor to fight in front of all of you who have taken the time watch and all of you who take the time to come on here and say whats up. I wish you all the best in the world. again my apologies to my family, my camp at AMC and to my fans.”

The loss to Faber dropped Pulver’s lifetime record to 22-11-1 and served as his fifth loss in his last six fights. Pulver is also winless in his last three fights and just 1-3 since dropping down from the UFC’s lightweight division to the WEC’s featherweight division.

Despite his recent string of defeats, Pulver is viewed by many pundits as an MMA pioneer after emerging as one of its most prolific lighter weight fighters during a career that dates back to 1999. Over the years, Pulver has recorded notable victories over Joe Stevenson, John Lewis, Caol Uno, Dennis Hallman, and B.J. Penn.

The event will mark the first time that the WEC has come to the market and fans in attendance will be treated to a rematch between former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver and former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber as well as Jamie Varner defending the WEC lightweight title vs. Donald Cerrone.

The Jan. 25 fight between Pulver and Faber will be a rematch from their epic first encounter that took place on June 1 in Sacramento and drew a 1.2 rating on VERSUS. Faber expects the second fight between the two to be another memorable tilt.

“I know this is going to be another classic for the fans,” Faber is quoted as saying in a press release issued by the promotion. “Jens is always ready to fight, he’s a competitor, and I expect a tough battle, but I’m going to try to finish it this time – I don’t want it to go the distance.”

Pulver, formerly of Miletich Fighting Systems, lost the first fight via unanimous decision but believes a change in camps will prove to be a difference maker.

“Now that I train with Matt Hume, I’ll be doing things a lot differently,” Pulver is quoted as saying. “Did I show it against Leonard Garcia? No, it takes time. But I know I’m still competitive… Great fights are still in me.”

The promotion has also officially confirmed the previously reported matchup between Varner and Cerrone. In the promotion’s press release, Varner didn’t seem overly concerned by Cerrone’s perfect 9-0 record.

“I have a lot of respect for Cerrone, but I consider him just one more undefeated fighter that I have to put in his place,” said Varner. “I think it’s awesome to have this fight in Southern California; there is a huge MMA following there, so I think this event will be huge, and a big step for the growth of WEC.”

For Cerrone, the title fight will place him in the spotlight for the biggest bout of his career.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to fight for the title, and to take on Jamie Varner,” the Colorado native is quoted.  “He’s well rounded and very athletic, but I’m going to work hard in training camp and on my game plan to win the title. I’m looking forward to fighting in San Diego, and to headline the first WEC event there.”

WEC 38 will be televised nationally on VERSUS starting at 9:30 p.m. ET. Tickets for the event will go on sale on Dec. 4 at 10 a.m. PT.

Published reports had indicated that Faber’s next opponent would be up and coming featherweight prospect Jose Aldo but sources close to both Aldo and Pulver have revealed to Five Ounces of Pain that Faber’s next opponent is indeed Pulver.

Earlier this year, Faber and Pulver headlined the largest show in WEC history on June 1 in Sacramento, Calif. Considered one of the best fights of 2008, Faber retained his WEC featherweight title with a five-round unanimous decision victory.

Both fighters returned to action earlier this month in separate bouts on the same card at WEC 36 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. with both losing by way of first round TKO.

Faber, 21-2, lost his title in an upset against American Top Team’s Mike Thomas Brown after Brown finished him with punches at 2:23 of round 1. The loss ended Faber’s 13-fight winning streak.

Facing fellow former UFC lightweight Leonard Garcia, Pulver fell to 22-10-1 after he was TKO’d as a result of punches at 1:12 of round 1. In losing, the Miletich Fighting Systems product now has a 1-4 record in his last five fights.

So far, the WEC has yet to officially announce the Jan. 25 event, which has been widely reported by numerous outlets. Reports also indicate that Jamie Varner is expected to defend his WEC lightweight title on the same show against number one contender Donald Cerrone.

Andrews has been fighting with Cage Rage Contenders, a developmental show for Cage rage. He has won both of his professional bouts by TKO in the first round.

Ken Shamrock is scheduled to be on the same event as his son, facing Robert Berry in the main event.