jens pulver

Jens Johnnie "Lil Evil" Pulver (born December 6, 1974 in Sunnyside, Washington) is an American mixed martial artist (MMA). He was the first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight champion, and was a coach on the The Ultimate Fighter 5 reality show, which aired on Spike TV. He is currently signed as a featherweight with World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), which is owned by Zuffa (the parent company of the UFC). Contents [hide] 1 Biography 2 Martial arts background 3 Professional career 3.1 Pulver vs. Hallman 3.2 Pulver vs. Penn 3.3 Leaving the UFC 3.4 PRIDE 3.5 Return to the UFC 3.6 WEC 4 Personal life 5 Championships 6 MMA record 7 Amateur MMA record 7.1 Books 7.2 See also 7.3 References 7.4 External links //

Biography

The son of a licensed horse jockey, Pulver grew up in a five-bedroom, two-story rambler in Maple Valley, Washington (approximately one half hour drive from Seattle). He was the oldest of four children (two brothers, Dustin and Abel, and one sister, Jamaica). Pulver has heterochromia, a harmless medical condition that gives eyes different colors; in Pulver's case his right eye is blue, while his left eye is brown.

Pulver was raised in what he referred to as a "daily hell." His childhood house was one of continual violence and abuse, stemming mostly from his alcoholic father. Many examples of the abuse Pulver 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 his father threatened the then-seven-year-old Jens by placing a gun in Pulver’s mouth and then removing it, stating, “you aren’t worth the bullets.”

Pulver is the subject of the book NEVER by Timothy McKinnon, which discusses his lifelong struggles and successes with depression, family, and religion, all of which are inextricably entwined with his career as a professional MMA fighter.

Martial arts background

The summer before he entered sixth grade, Pulver was introduced to a friend of the family, Jack Vantress. Vantress encouraged Pulver to join a youth wrestling program. He went on to wrestle at Tahoma High School [1] in Maple Valley, earning two state championships. Pulver wrestled for Highline Community College where he became an NAIA All-American by placing in the top eight at the NAIA National Championships. He then wrestled for Boise State University, before an injury (bilateral fracture of the wrists) eventually ended his amateur wrestling career. Pulver eventually graduated from BSU with a degree in criminal justice.

While in college, Pulver's interests