Jens Pulver
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| Jens Pulver | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Nickname | Little Evil |
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) |
| Weight | 155 lb (70 kg) |
| Born | December 6, 1974 |
| Fighting out of | Davenport, Iowa |
| Town of birth | Seattle, Washington |
| Fighting style | Boxing, Submission Wrestling |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Wins | 21 |
| By knockout | 13 |
| By submission | 2 |
| Losses | 7 |
| Draws | 1 |
Jens "Little Evil" Pulver (born December 6, 1974 in Seattle, Washington) is an United States based professional mixed martial artist. He was the first UFC Lightweight Champion, and is a coach on the The Ultimate Fighter 5 reality show.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
The son of a licensed horse jockey, Jens grew up in a five-bedroom, two story rambler in Maple Valley, Washington (approximately one half hours drive from Seattle Washington). Jens was the oldest of four children (two brothers and one sister.)
Jens was raised in he referred to as a “daily hell.” Jens’ childhood house was one of violence stemming mostly from his alcoholic father. Many examples of the violence Jens faced as a youth are depicted in his autobiography, “Little Evil, One Ultimate Fighter’s Rise to the Top.” The most extreme of which include an incident where Jen’s father threatened the then seven-year-old Jens, and his young sibling with a loaded firearm. As described in his autobiography, the firearm was placed in Jens’ mouth, then removed when his father stated, “you aren’t worth the bullets.”
[edit] Martial arts background
The summer before he entered sixth grade Jens was introduced to a friend of the family, Jack Vantress. Vantress encouraged Jens to join a youth wrestling program. Jens would go on to wrestle at Tahoma High School in Maple Valley, Washington, earning two state championships. He would wrestle for Boise State college, before an injury (bilateral fracture of the wrists) eventually ended his amateur wrestling career. Jens would eventually graduate from Boise State with a degree in criminal justice.
While in college, Jens interests shifted from wrestling to martial arts. Jens found early success fighting in unsanctioned “underground” events, before befriending Lowell Anderson (the owner of a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academy ninety miles north of Boise). Lowell got Jens involved in sanctioned MMA events, namely the Bas Rutten invitational in April of 1999. Jens would win one match, then lose the second due to his lack of martial arts training. He would fight again in the third incarnation of the Bas Rutten Invitational, winning both his fights and impressing then UFC matchmaker John Perretti.
[edit] Professional career
Jens began competing in the UFC in September of 1999. Jens would fight four times in the UFC before gaining a title shot against top ranked Japanese Fighter Caol Uno in February of 2001. Jens won the title, by unanimous decision. He would defend his title two more times (Dennis Hallman and B.J. Penn) before leaving the organization due to contractual problems. Jens would become famous for his combination of defensive wrestling and boxing strategy known to MMA crowds as “sprawl and brawl.” Jens would also become famous for the extreme power in his left hook, knocking out numerous opponents with a single left hand strike.
Pulver vs Hallman
Pulver’s first title defense came against Dennis Hallman.
Dennis Hallman known best for his two wins (both by submission in under 1 minute) against former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes (fighter). Their first fight occurred in 1998 the second in December of 2000.
After his second defeat of Hughes, Hallman dropped down a weight class and fought Hughes' teammate Jens Pulver for the lightweight UFC championship in September of 2001. Pulver and Hallman had both wrestled in the same state (Washington) in high school. In prefight interviews, Hallman claimed to know and dislike Pulver since high school; Pulver denied knowing Hallman personally, but knew of him as they were both State Champions (at different weight classes).
During the fight Hallman secured an armbar on Pulver (the same move he used to defeat Hughes in their second fight) , but Pulver countered the technique and then landed a left hook flush on Hallman's chin. Hallman found himself unable to recover completely from the blow, and fought very passively for the remainder of the fight eventually losing a unanimous decision. Hallman would later state in interviews that he simply wanted to survive the fight after receiving the blow.
Pulver vs Penn
Pulver’s second title defense came against B.J. Penn.
Before his transition to mixed martial arts, Penn was the most highly decorated Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner in America (he was the first non-Brazilian to win a world title at the Black Belt level in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu)at the time.
Upon his impressive debut against former state champion wrestler Joey Gilbert (a first round TKO) Penn rose quickly through the rankings. Penn, already known for his grappling, quickly stunned the MMA community by show casing incredible striking skills; quickly knocking out highly regarded Din Thomas (a man who had submitted Pulver in 2000) then knocking out Caol Uno within eleven seconds of the first round. Heading into the fight with Pulver, Penn had never fought longer than the first round. The speed in which Penn was defeating top 10 opponents had many MMA journalist saying he was unbeatable. Penn was a 3:1 favorite at most sportsbooks, and most MMA experts were writing Pulver off as having no chance.
Pulver’s performance in the fight is considered the high point of his career. Penn pressed the action early; taking Pulver to the mat numerous times, achieving a full mount on him twice in the second round, and securing a straight arm bar completely hyper-extending Pulver’s arm as the seconds ticked off the clock ending the second round.
Pulver battled back in the third round. Successfully defending Penn’s attempts to take him to the ground, and even scoring defensive takedowns on Penn. Pulver frustrated Penn with nothing more than sheer will power, not only winning the rounds but out grappling the world-renowned Penn in the third and fourth rounds. In the fifth round, Penn, frustrated and down on points, chose to stand and trade with Pulver. For the entire five minutes of the fifth round the two stood toe to toe exchanging kick boxing techniques. At one point a left hand from Pulver staggered Penn, but the round drew to a conclusion and the fight went into the judges hands.
Pulver would take a majority decision win. Breaking into tears during the post fight interview Pulver shouted “On the ground again!...I’ve been beat on my whole life, this is nothing.”
[edit] Leaving the UFC
After leaving the UFC, Pulver's career slumped slightly with two consecutive losses. He regained his winning ways by dropping down a weight class to 145 pounds. Along the same time, Jens also began competing as a professional boxer, winning all four of his fights in 2004, including a fight on the nationally syndicated USA network. [1] During this time Pulver fought in various other MMA promotions, including Shooto, PRIDE, and the IFL. Pulver moved back up to the lightweight division in December of 2004 in the world renown Pride Fighting championships.
His first match in Pride was against current Pride Fighting Championships light weight champion Takanori Gomi. Though he would lose this fight,his toughness and striking ability were immediately apparent to both the fans and the promoters. This led to a match against Tomomi Iwama which he dominated by knocking his opponent out one minute into the fight. His next opponent Hayato Sakurai (who is currently regarded as the #1 155 pound fighter in the world) would go on to win in a fast paced see saw affair that showcased both the toughness and heart of Jens Pulver, and the experience and technicality of Sakurai. During the fight Pulver would be accidentally thumbed in the eye by Sakurai. The blow would leave a corneal abrasion. During the fight Pulver can be seen repeatedly rubbing his eye and wincing in pain. Jens showcased tremendous determination nearly knocking Sakurai out with a left hook in the later part of the first round, even after being transciently blinded in one eye.
Since his most recent fight in the IFL (a 56 second knockout win over Cole Escovedo), Pulver is again under contract with the UFC as a lightweight contender and is confirmed as a coach in the 5th season of The Ultimate Fighter.[2]
During his early MMA career Jens trained with the Shamrock 2000 team, but eventually found his home with the Miletich Fighting Systems, a prolific group that also includes former UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia.
[edit] Return to the UFC
At UFC 63 Jens Pulver returned to the Ultimate Fighting Championship in the newly reinstated lightweight division. He was matched up against UFC newcomer, Joe Lauzon. Pulver was a 7-to-1 favorite to win the match, but Lauzon quickly defeated the former Lightweight Champion by technical knockout at the 48 second mark of the first round. After the fight, Pulver apologized for his performance, and indicated that he still desired to make his UFC comeback.
Pulver is a coach on The Ultimate Fighter 5 reality television show, which hosts sixteen lightweight fighters. His counterpart on the show and rival coach is B.J. Penn. The two coaches are scheduled to fight in the season finale.
[edit] MMA Record
| Result | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Notes |
| Loss | Joe Lauzon | TKO (Punches) | UFC 63 - Hughes vs. Penn | 9/23/2006 | 1 | 0:48 | His first loss in the UFC |
| Win | Cole Escovedo | KO (Punch) | IFL Legends Championship 2006 | 4/29/2006 | 1 | 0:56 | |
| Win | Kenji Arai | KO (Soccer Kick) | PRIDE Bushido 10 | 4/2/2006 | 1 | 3:59 | |
| Loss | Hayato Sakurai | TKO (Strikes) | PRIDE Bushido 9 | 9/25/2005 | 1 | 8:56 | |
| Win | Tomomi Iwama | KO (Punch) | PRIDE Bushido 7 | 5/22/2005 | 1 | 1:00 | |
| Loss | Takanori Gomi | KO (Punch) | PRIDE Shockwave 2004 | 12/31/2004 | 1 | 6:21 | |
| Win | Stephen Palling | KO | Shooto Hawaii - Soljah Fight Night | 7/9/2004 | 3 | 1:47 | |
| Win | Naoya Uematsu | KO (Punch) | Shooto 2004 - 3/22 in Korakuen Hall | 3/22/2004 | 1 | 2:09 | |
| Win | Richard Hess | Submission (Choke) | IFC - Battleground Boise | 10/25/2003 | 1 | 2:14 | |
| Win | Joe Jordan | KO | EC 52 - Extreme Challenge 52 | 8/15/2003 | 2 | 3:12 | |
| Loss | Jason Maxwell | TKO (Strikes) | HOOKnSHOOT - Absolute Fighting Championships 3 | 5/24/2003 | 1 | 4:54 | |
| Loss | Duane Ludwig | KO (Punch) | UCC 12 - Adrenaline | 1/25/2003 | 1 | 1:13 | |
| Win | Takehiro Murahama | Decision (Split) | UFO - Legend | 8/8/2002 | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Win | Robert Emerson | Decision | UW - Ultimate Wrestling | 6/29/2002 | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Win | B.J. Penn | Decision (Majority) | UFC 35 - Throwdown | 1/11/2002 | 5 | 5:00 | Gives up the UFC Lightweight Title and leaves the UFC after this fight. |
| Win | Dennis Hallman | Decision (Unanimous) | UFC 33 - Victory in Vegas | 9/28/2001 | 5 | 5:00 | |
| Win | Caol Uno | Decision | UFC 30 - Battle on the Boardwalk | 2/23/2001 | 5 | 5:00 | Wins the UFC Lightweight Title |
| Win | John Lewis | KO | UFC 28 - High Stakes | 11/17/2000 | 1 | 0:15 | |
| Win | Dave Gries | KO | Gladiators 10 - Gladiators 10 | 10/14/2000 | N/A | N/A | |
| Loss | Din Thomas | Submission (Heel Hook) | WEF - New Blood Conflict | 8/26/2000 | 2 | 0:33 | |
| Win | Joao Roque | Decision | UFC 26 - Ultimate Field of Dreams | 6/9/2000 | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Win | Eric Hibler | KO | WEF 9 - World Class | 5/13/2000 | 1 | 1:54 | |
| Win | David Velasquez | TKO | UFC 24 - First Defense | 3/10/2000 | 2 | 2:41 | |
| Win | Phil Johns | KO (Punch) | WEF 8 - Goin' Platinum | 1/15/2000 | 1 | 0:33 | |
| Draw | Alfonso Alcarez | Draw | UFC 22 - There Can Be Only One Champion | 9/24/1999 | 2 | 5:00 | |
| Win | Joe Stevenson | KO (Punch) | BRI 3 - Bas Rutten Invitational 3 | 6/1/1999 | 1 | 0:38 | |
| Win | Ray Morales | Submission (Guillotine Choke) | BRI 3 - Bas Rutten Invitational 3 | 6/1/1999 | 1 | 0:51 | |
| Loss | David Harris | Submission (Toe Hold) | BRI 2 - Bas Rutten Invitational 2 | 4/24/1999 | 1 | 11:57 | |
| Win | Curtis Hill | TKO (Towel) | BRI 2 - Bas Rutten Invitational 2 | 4/24/1999 | 1 | 3:00 |
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] Sources
- Sherdog.com 's Fight Finder : http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterid=228
- Personal Interview with Professional Combat Sports Handicapper David Clopton [3]
- Pulver's Autobiography "Little Evil One Ultimate Fighter's Rise to the Top"
| Previous champion None |
1st UFC Lightweight Champion |
Next champion Sean Sherk |
| The Ultimate Fighter - Season 5 | |
|---|---|
| Alan Berube | Nathan Diaz | Robert Emerson | Manvel Gambaryan | Brian Geraghty | Corey Hill | Joe Lauzon | Gray Maynard | Brandon Melendez | Cole Miller | Gabe Ruediger | Marlon Sims | Noah Thomas | Andy Wang | Wayne Weems | Matt Wiman
Coaches: B.J. Penn | Jens Pulver |
|
