thaFormula.com - For someone like yourself that started way back then, how did you go about training for MMA seeing as how there was no real actual MMA training gyms like the ones today?

Jens "Little Evil" Pulver - It was pretty funny because they still have the heavy bag hanging in the wrestling room and I started working there. I remember going over to Caldwell Garcia's Boxing and Rudy was working with me with my hands and of course I loved boxing so I learned the best I could. I also had the smarts to realize that wrestling is not gonna be the only answer, you've got to become well rounded, you've got to learn. Once I made that decision to get out there and fight, I listened to people who seemed credible to me, but I still stayed wrestling based. I remember people would try to come in and teach this or teach that and we'd be like "yeah whatever." I didn't really pay much attention to them, I stayed wrestling but then I met up with Lowell Anderson and I saw his skills. Basically you had to kick my butt because that was the only way I was gonna listen to you or even think about learning something and that was a rare event, but when I met him I just stuck to him like glue and started to learn from him to get my career started.

thaFormula.com - And that career really got started with the Bas Rutten invitational right?

Jens "Little Evil" Pulver - That was the biggest one for me. John Ferretti was the matchmaker, he was gonna be the referee at the show, Bas Rutten was the name and he was representing that show and so we knew it was time. We said "you know what, lets put on a good show in front of this guy and see what happens," and so we piled up what money we had, pulled out and gave it a shot. The first time around I remember losing in the finals in a 25-minute war with David Harris and I hit the guy with everything under the sunshine and the guy got me with a foot lock at the end. I didn't even know what it was. I had no idea, I was just like "yeah good luck you ain't taking me down," and then all of a sudden my foot starts twisting. I go "oh man what is this?" But it was good because I was also fighting at the 170-pound division and that's when I met John Ferretti. He said "you know you got a lot of great tools, but you got to learn how to finish and learn these things…" and it gave me these little things to work on and he said "you know come back for the next one."

thaFormula.com - Looking back, how did it feel to have that first pro fight of your career and the first win of your professional career? What does that first professional fight feel like?

Jens "Little Evil" Pulver - I remember Lowell Anderson telling me, "hey this time around I want you to stand up and show this guy that you can do everything. You've got to rock this guy" and I was like , "okay." So right then I said "I'm gonna stand up and I'm going to whale this guy and see what happens" and man after you get that first shot off and things are rolling it felt to me like just another wrestling match. There were punches involved but that one on one competition was still there and I felt everything flowing. Back then all your thinking about is getting started and your just hungry and happy to be in there and got no care in the world and I was just letting my dogs hunt and just winging these punches, throwing knees and you know just having a good time. So when I got that first win with strikes I was just completely blown away and I was hooked. I liked that punching right off the bat. I was all about it. I think the biggest thing for a lot of people is that if you go into it angry and you look at it like a street fight, it's all a big whirlwind. You blackout, you don't even know what's going on, you don't think. But for me having that wrestling background and things of that nature, I knew to think. I was trying to be 3 steps ahead and work on what I had to work on. I knew the punches just had to be deflected and roll with them. Don't go "oh god I got punched in the face, my life is over." You just roll with it and see who can beat who up and that was basically my idea when I walked in there.

thaFormula.com - How did it feel to feel that great high of a first win to coming back for the next fight and receiving your first loss on something that was basically just inexperience?

Jens "Little Evil" Pulver - Well I gave it everything that I had, but I was bummed because I lost to something that I didn't even know what it was at the time. That's when I started to open my eyes like "you know I really got to get somewhere where people can teach me these things. I've really got to get somewhere where I could get well rounded if this is what I want to do." I could wrestle all day long, I could punch all day long but all it took was one guy getting down there on my foot and he submitted me. I was anxious to get back in there and learn. I was anxious to figure "okay why did this happen and what do I got to do to stop it?" I knew I had 3 or 4 months before the next Bas Rutten and so I just kept working.

thaFormula.com - Did you stick to the same training partners at that point?

Jens "Little Evil" Pulver - At that point yes.

thaFormula.com - So you came back and defeated Ray Morales by submission in your next fight, were submissions something you focused on a lot before that fight?

Jens "Little Evil" Pulver - No I didn't focus on submissions. I started to learn submissions so I could stay out of them and figure out what it is that they are looking for. What it is that they are going after and it was definitely a work in progress but I choked him out, he tapped and I was like "okay" and I kind of started adding another element in there.

thaFormula.com - Now up next you fought current UFC fighter Joe Stevenson, how different is the Joe Stevenson you fought back then when compared to the one of today?

Jens "Little Evil" Pulver - Oh big time. He was just a baby back then. He was basically wrestling based and the difference was like I said, I had no problem slugging it out. I'll use my wrestling when they get in on my legs but until they do I'm gonna throw down. He was just shooting from the distance and I remember I hit him, knocked him out and it was over. That's the one thing, I wasn't close-minded. I wasn't like "oh god I got to get in on his legs and get this guy down or I'm in trouble." I was comfortable. I wasn't the greatest stand up guy, but man I had no problem standing there swinging, I liked it. I thought it was great and a good weapon. So I just went out there throwing the punches and defending the takedown and when I wanted the takedown I would shoot.

thaFormula.com - So at this point in time the UFC comes calling, how did that happen and how did it feel for you to get your shot at the UFC?

Jens "Little Evil" Pulver - Well I mean it was an unreal feeling. Ferretti said he always wanted to do a lighter weight division and he had a great fighter that he wanted to get in there. We were both the same weight and he called me about Alfonso Alcarez who was a good kick boxer and a good wrestler and I was thinking "okay this is perfect".  So we did what we could and hunted down Bob Shamrock who was the one big name I knew at the time for MMA training.  I told him who I was, introduced myself and he said "yeah come on down and see what you think." So I flew down, started training there a little bit and got ready for this fight.

thaFormula.com - So up came your fight with Alfonso, it ended up being a draw. What was it like being in the UFC and how much did it affect you to be in the big show?

Jens "Little Evil" Pulver - It was nuts. I was in the locker room freaking out and I remember one person came up to me and said "son, you need to calm down or you're gonna waste all your energy before the fight." I remember looking up at him and a friend of mine snapped a picture and it was Pat Militech. What do you say to that? There is Pat Militech, Monte Cox and Jeremy Horn. Matt Hughes was there for his first fight. So I just didn't know what to say. I was just like "okay." So then when I got out there man the adrenaline was going and I just went 100 miles per minute man, I just went crazy. All the energy I had, I burned it all man. 2 rounds of just straight fury. It was unreal, I was just blown away. Then they raised my hand and then they came back and said that there was a mistake on the cards and that it was a draw. I was like "yeah whatever," you know "okay." But I was hooked and at that point I knew what I wanted to do.

thaFormula.com - So up next you went and fought Phil Johns in the WEF and got the KO victory, why did you go there after your first UFC fight?

Jens "Little Evil" Pulver - Well I had my UFC contract but it wasn't strictly with them at that point. I had made a call to Monte Cox based on the meeting at the UFC. Bob Shamrock gave me all his blessings said "yeah go out there" and that's when I headed to Iowa. He said he had a fight for me against Phil Johns in the WEF when I got out there. I said "okay" so I moved out to Iowa and that's when I was just blown away. I was like "holy cow I just met a whole room of guys that all they did was hand me my butt on a platter." Just beat me silly, choking me out left and right and I was in heaven. When I moved out there I had 2 duffle bags, quit my job, left the house, gave up everything and took the train for 2 and half days to come to Iowa and Monte let me stay in his house. I can't thank him enough. He met me at the UFC and liked my attitude and said "one stipulation." He said "you've got to come out here because I wanna know that your training, I want to make sure you stay in shape and not have to wonder whether I'm gonna show up 15 pounds overweight or whatever." That's when I got to meet Pat Militech, Matt Hughes, and Jeremy Horn. I was blown away. It was unreal and I just trained day in and day out. I had nothing, I had no money. I barely had any clothes you know I had nothing. But all I did have was this gigantic will to be a world champion. So when they brought me to the WEF against Phil Johns, I remember I went out there and knocked him out right there on the spot. I let them guys know that I'm here and I'm ready to fight.

thaFormula.com - So at this point in time were you part of the Militech team?

Jens "Little Evil" Pulver - Yes I just joined them and it was heaven to me because they trained all day. They didn't have a job. Some did, some didn't but there was always people there training and that's what I was there to do. I was there to be broke and poor but train all day. This was my job and the only way I was gonna make money. The best way to get out there and get after something is a one-way ticket. I made a one-way ticket and there was no coming back. Unless I made it happen there was no coming home. I was in heaven and right where I wanted to be, doing what I wanted to do.

thaFormula.com - What was the average payday at that point in time?

Jens "Little Evil" Pulver - Man I got $700 in the UFC. It worked for me because back then when you first started fighting you weren't in it for the money. You know it was legal maybe in 3 states and things like that. I did it because this was all I knew. This is what I was paid to do. I was made to train and made to fight and that's all I did.

thaFormula.com - So now you start going on a small win streak. You win 4 in a row including your second and third fight in the UFC. Everything seems to be rolling but then you get caught in a leg submission to Din Thomas, what happened in that fight?

Jens "Little Evil" Pulver - That was a fight where I knew he was skilled, I knew he was a tough guy. But at the time I think it was a momentum thing. It was one of those fights where I allowed him into the fight. I should have just ran after him and just trucked him but I stayed back, I thought too much, I was too cautious. I gave him confidence and then in the next round he was more confident and then I get caught. That's all there is to it. I allowed an opening and he took it. So I realized that there is more to this game than just submissions, just be in great shape and just wanting the will to win. You have to mentally be ready, you have to mentally learn how to break these people, and you have to mentally learn how to get after him. I remember people asking me, "do you want a rematch?" I go "no I don't want a rematch." I go "I'm gonna go out there and keep on winning and if he's as good as he says he is then we'll have to rematch." I just left it at that moved on and kept on learning. That's what I was there to do, I was there to learn.

thaFormula.com - So you came back 2 months later and racked up another KO victory. Is fighting every couple of months something that you wanted to do?

Jens "Little Evil" Pulver - Absolutely, the more fights the merrier. I was blowing through most of them, knocking them out and not hurt so I would get back in there. When you're climbing the ladder you never stop, you just keep going. I wanted to learn. I didn't get an amateur career and I wanted to learn as I went and every 2 months was perfect. I was young, I was training hard in a great camp and they just couldn't line them up fast enough. I wanted to fight and that was it. I just kept getting in that ring and I felt better every time I did.

thaFormula.com - Now at UFC 28 you fought John Lewis. What did you know about John at the time?

Jens "Little Evil" Pulver - I had seen him fight plenty of times. He ripped apart Lowell Anderson. I knew he was a big guy who had fought all over the world. I knew he was a great fighter, but I knew this was the guy I had to beat if I wanted to continue going after that world title. So I respected him, knew he was a great fighter and like I said I believed in my coach, I believed in my camp and what they said to do I did. So I just went out there and I waited for him to throw that lazy jab and as soon as he did I was gonna take his jaw off and that was the game plan.

thaFormula.com - At this time the whole Militech camp is rising and doing great. What was it about the Militech camp that kept you guys so far ahead of the pack in the UFC?

Jens "Little Evil" Pulver - A lot of guys were in it for the same thing. They were in there to fight, train and be the best they can be. We had a great group of people. We all trained hard everyday. You never walked in that room by yourself going, "hmm nobody showed up today, what am I gonna do?" It was never liked that. They trained extremely hard day in and day out. My worst beatings to this day have come in that practice room, never in the fights. I have taken lumps and bruises in that practice room and that's what made us work. We all got on each other, we all pushed each other and it was everything I ever wanted. It was like a wrestling room with all this boxing, MMA, Jiu Jitsu, lifting and running. The support group was massive. I mean everybody there, that's what they did. They all gave up something. They did whatever they had to do just to be around the rest of us that was doing it and we pushed each other. That was the key to success, we just pushed each other so hard in the room that it was a day off to go in the ring.

thaFormula.com - Now up next came your fight with Japanese fighter Caol Uno who was one of the best fighters in the world at the time. What did you know about him going into that fight and were you worried at all in this fight?

Jens "Little Evil" Pulver - I was extremely worried. I mean I knew I was fighting the best guy in the world at the weight and I mean the "best guy." He was calm and collected and he spent damn near a whole round in Rumino Sato's rear naked choke. I knew he was extremely cool and collected no matter what and I was extremely worried. Here I am about to fight the best guy in the world and I still had that doubt. "Am I good enough to beat this guy?" and there was just no other point then to just get out there and find out. I'm looking at the belt and I'm freaking out because I know I'm 25 minutes from achieving a goal that I gave up everything to achieve and none of that bothered me. I was just ready to get out there and get after it. I just wanted to fight and I just wanted to push him and whatever happened, happened. I expected 25 minutes. If it got over early, it got over early but I just wanted to get out there and listen to my coaches, show my teammates that hey all that hard training we did wasn't for nothing and I just went out there and got after it. It was plain, it was simple and it was just what I had to do.

thaFormula.com - How hard of a fight was that for you?

Jens "Little Evil" Pulver - It was extremely hard. He kicked hard and moved a lot. I knew if he got me down the biggest thing was to get back to my feet, don't let him do his ground and pound because he's real good at that. I wasn't to worried about submissions, but I was worried about his ground and pound and the biggest thing was that I was just gonna go out there and let things fly. Chase after him and just keep going with the punches as they happen out there in the fight. When he got my back, I panicked a little bit, but I said "you know what, stay calm, get away, get back up and let's just keep fighting. As long as I'm up, as long as I'm conscious, I'm gonna fight until the referees stops it."

thaFormula.com - The Japanese fighters all seem to have their own fighting style. What is it about the Japanese fighters that make them so difficult to handle sometimes?

Jens "Little Evil" Pulver - They've been around so much longer the we have. You grew up being an MMA fighter or martial artist. That was the biggest difference. They were miles ahead, so they had plenty of fights. They had the Shooto division over there. They would have 30 or 40 plus fights. They had a lot of experience and they had an amateur circuit that would go into the pro circuit and they were just way ahead of us.

thaFormula.com - So you beat Uno and won the title you had been wanting and dreaming of all your life, what was it like winning that title and did you feel at that point that you had accomplished everything you wanted to accomplish?

Jens "Little Evil" Pulver - No, I was just beginning. I knew I had a long way to go. When I won the belt I was ecstatic and blown away. I was happy for the team and me. I was just in heaven and as happy as I could have ever been. I just wanted to keep fighting, that was it. Now it was time to sit back and realize, "okay now people are gonna come after me" and I was like "good lets do it. You want this belt? Let's see you come and try and take it."

thaFormula.com - You came back to defend your title in the UFC and won a unanimous decision to Denis Hallman. Was it a relief for you to win that first fight after winning the title?

Jens "Little Evil" Pulver - Yeah because Matt Hughes had made the statement before and it was something we all firmly believed in, you're not really a champion until you defend the belt. So in our camp especially, you got to get that first defense then you can call yourself a champion. I wish it wasn't as boring as a fight as it was but the reality was that he was real strong. He could hold me, and he almost got me in an arm bar. I had to take this one serious because he beat Matt Hughes twice so I was extremely nervous about it, but you know you just got to keep pushing. It ended up going 25 minutes. If there was a way I could have ended it earlier…believe me, nobody wants to fight 25 minutes, I'd have ended it as fast as I could have but I was just trying to be safe. At the same time I didn't want to get caught in anything and I wanted him to know that if he wanted the belt, he had to come and take it.

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