MMA Junkie previews what will be one helluva fight: Jens "Little Evil" Pulver versus Urijah "The California Kid" Faber -- a June 1 bout that will be the most significant fight ever under the WEC banner.
Pulver, 33, the first guy to hold a lightweight belt in the UFC, dropped down to 145 lbs, and joined the WEC after losing round two of his grudge match with B.J. Penn in the finale of season 5 of the Ultimate Fighter. He will face Faber, 29, at the Arco Arena in Sacramento in fight to be aired free on Versus cable.
These are two tremendous warriors. Faber, not as well known since he fights in a lower-profile organization, may be one of the most talented mixed martial artists in the world. He is currently the WEV's featherweight champion. He has excellent takedown and submission skills, is freakishly fast, and is a joy to watch (as is, generally, the whole featherweight division.)
Pulver has a great and heavy left hand, is a skilled grappler, and is an intelligent, dogged, csrappy well-conditioned fighter. But while he is an MMA legend, he never seems to get as much respect as his opponents, whether it is Faber or Penn. He is the underdog in this fight.
But I'm rooting for Pulver. The guy has more heart than almost any other fighter I have seen. He has overcome a harrowing biography that included unspeakable abuse at the hands of his father. (His life story is detailed in Little Evil: One Ultimate Fighter's Rise to the Top).
He is a good soul, and when you root for Pulver, you root for the underdog, for humanity, for the guy who gets knocked down in life, but always insists on getting back up. Jens Pulver is why I love mixed martial arts. He is the the best of the sport.
You can catch some video clips of interviews with both fighters here.
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