"It broke my heart. When I was out there, I know I didn't say I retire or I quit, but at the same token, the one part that was busting me up more than anything was the fact that I couldn't keep doing that to my fans. I love them to death and their response at the weigh-ins and their response at the fights and how much they were cheering for me, I love themÂ…I owe them way too much to break their hearts like this. If anything, I never thought ever in my life that that would be a reason to retire. Now that I look at it, its like, 'I can't keep putting them through this.' And maybe that's why you retire because you can't keep hurting the people that you love and I love the fans man. I love everything about them and this sport. I'm not some rich dude that makes money off the fans. I don't make money off the fans. I make a living off the fans literally because they get me motivated and keep me going. So it's beyond touching," stated former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver as he talked about his disappointing loss to Javier Vazquez this past weekend at WEC 47. You don't want to miss this heartfelt interview as Pulver discusses retirement, his legacy and his future. Check it out!
PC: First and foremost, how are you physically? I know your arm got tweaked pretty good and you had a nice sized welt on your head.
JP: You know, again nothingÂ…it hurts a lot more internally than anything. But the way he locked that thing up and how high it was, it felt like he ripped my shoulder; my booty I mean (laughing). It was pretty amazing. I felt it in my collarbone. I know why he's such a highly ranked Black Belt now. He hit that thing quick. The elbows, you know, it takes about a minute to straighten it out, but that's how it is man; you get caught, you get caught. I don't ever think I've been known as the grappler extraordinaire and that shot on the headÂ…I was more worried about getting my arm free. He's got my arm crossed here. Punch away on the head man; you can beat on that thing, but let me get my arm straight. That's when I realized like, "Ah man." And it's all big and swollen too. It kind of looks like I got a fucking cantaloupe. I feel good though man. I'm just really trying to take the positives out of the fight and find the things that I did decent before I got caught. I had some submission attempts on a guy that's at such a high level, it let me know I was in the right spots.
PC: You were fighting a good fight and then he got you in a very bad spot with the crucifix position and rained some elbows on you and then transitioned into the armbar. How do you feel you were doing up until that point?
JP: I was okay with it. I know that I was getting a little carried away with trying to bury that left leg on his lead leg. One of the game plans was to try to stop any movement of any kind and to just kind of blast that lead leg, but I made the mistake and it will forever haunt me. Did I need that third kick on the ground? What was I thinking? I missed completely. I shot it right over the top and that opened it up for him to sit up and grab me again and I justÂ…it's one of those things. I wanted to show balance. I didn't want him to be able to just sit back on his butt like that and butt scoot. You want to throw a couple of kicks to show that you're in control and I guess I got a little carried away in trying to show that dominance (laughing). I kicked and missed and then got right back into that scramble without him having to come back up to his feet, because that's always been the best spot, transitioning from the feet to the ground. Those are the scramble positions because crazy things can happen. That's how I almost got him the first time. That's a wrestler's position there. But once he got me on the ground and got me all tied up, forget about it. I'm trying to get out of one thing and got flipped into another; it just all happened too fast. This is a position that I've been in with BJ. I've been hit with the armbar and this is the first time I've lost to a submission like that. I don't know when I've ever lost to one. I've been choked, but I don't think I've ever been transitioned on to an armbar. I've gotten out of BJ's armbar. That thing was incredible. I liked the fight up until that point. I would like to go back and take that away if I could, but other than that, I liked it.
PC: Your support system in Ohio was amazing. My partner texted me from a different spot in the arena and asked, "Is it me or did this place just empty out when Jens fought?" And it was visible. What does that mean to you?
JP: It was incredible. That was the one thingÂ…it broke my heart. When I was out there, I know I didn't say I retire or I quit, but at the same token, the one part that was busting me up more than anything was the fact that I couldn't keep doing that to my fans. I love them to death and their response at the weigh-ins and their response at the fights and how much they were cheering for me, I love them. How many people get to have that gift, where I go through the roughest patch in my life as a competitor and my fans are right there with me? They are screaming, "Come on man!" (Laughing) I owe them way too much to break their hearts like this. If anything, I never thought ever in my life that that would be a reason to retire. Now that I look at it, its like, "I can't keep putting them through this." And maybe that's why you retire because you can't keep hurting the people that you love and I love the fans man. I love everything about them and this sport. I'm not some rich dude that makes money off the fans. I don't make money off the fans. I make a living off the fans literally because they get me motivated and keep me going. So it's beyond touching to haveÂ…you know, they tried to put me down in the corner. It's like when they tried to put Baby down in the corner on "Dirty Dancing." They just wouldn't let it happen. I don't even know if I was supposed to be on the main card. I was right in the middle of the card. I think when I stepped on the scale to weigh in, the crowd let it be known; "Don't you put Baby in the corner." It's beyond touching. It's incredible and it's hard to say goodbye. I feel no obligation to myself like, "I gotta get a win. I can't go out like that." People need to understand and know I'm strictly going, "What can I do for these guys? What do I have to do to show them they are not rooting for the wrong guy?"
PC: It's always great to have the fans support, but I don't think I've ever seen so many fighters tweet after another fighters fight like I saw after your fight. Mike Brown said he was crying. What is it about Jens Pulver that touches people the way you do?
JP: I think it's the sameÂ…you know, it's real cool because Dominic Cruz, he said some comments about me that was pretty moving. But Dominic says, "Jens, I got into this sport because of you. I was a kid and I was watching you win that world title and I seen a little guy do it and it made me believe I could." That's incredible. I know when I'm older, I will feel that and I will appreciate that. I think right nowÂ…and I love it when I hear it, don't get me wrong, and I am very thankful for it, but there is such a competitor still inside of me, it's just not something that I'm hearing right now. It is awesome to know and it is great to see people react the way that they do and show their appreciation. Think about it, anything that you ever done or will do, you just want to leave a mark. A mark that your son or your daughter could grow up and learn about and care about; a mark that you can't tell, but other people can. The fact that other people would even want to tell it is huge in this world when you could walk through this whole thing anonymous and never make a stamp.
And to come from the life that I came from, I got a brother who is going to be in the hole for 65 years. Nobody is going to know anything more than he's my brother and he's been in prison for pretty much his whole life; my dad or any of them. When I started this a long time ago, I never knew that I would be this known and it's awesome to be able to tell your story. When you get older, I always say that's all you got left, man, is your story. When you can't move physically and you can't get to that point where hopefully people just want to know your story, hopefully, I have reached that point where I will always be able to tell that story. It means the world to me. Guys like Mike BrownÂ…it's awesome to hear because I'm the 34-year-old retiree. It's just incredible to hear from the fighters because you don't really pay attention to them. You don't know if they are watching because they have their own careers. I don't know what I've done, but alls I can do is tell everybody thank you so much. I've always tried to make everybody feel welcomed. And this isn't a persona; I act no different in this houseÂ…actually, I'm just as crazy, so I act no different in this house as I do when I'm on the stage, in the cage and in between. So it means the world to me that I made a family out of this because I've been doing it for so long, so I'm glad that I can at least have a family out of this and to know all of the fighters and to have the privilege to watch them all and train with them. It's just a really cool feeling to be able to walk down the street to high five some people and know that they want to high five you back.
PC: There are not many fighters that can say they created a weight division and you did that and it's probably one of the hottest weight classes in present day MMA. If this is it for you, how would you like Jens Pulver to be remembered?
JP: The same thing I've always wanted, man, as a pioneer. It's hardÂ…like I said, Gabe Ruediger made a comment that 10 years from now, nobody would remember Jens Pulver, but everyone would remember BJ Penn. I just thought that was the most idiotic statement. I'm thinking he is a fool because 100 years from now, people are always going to want to know the origin of this sport and I'm all over that. I don't know who the 22nd heavyweight champion was. I don't know who the 15th or the 30th. I know who the first was. Maybe I have an idea of the 2nd, but you always know who the first is. We all know who it is. When you go look at the first champion, there is my name. You don't have to scroll down a list; it's going to be there at the top or bottom, depends on where they start. I just want to be known as a pioneer. It's awesome to see kids come into this sport. They've been doing it in high school and junior high and that has always been a dream. People have to understand that was just an idea. It was a dream to haveÂ…think about it, one of these days, people will be able to be in junior high and decide they want to be an MMA fighter. When we started it, that was not the case. That was never going to be the case. We just wanted it to be legal (laughing). We just wanted MMA to be legal. Lake Charles, Louisiana was the only home we had. I fought there so many times and New Orleans and stuff like that, but people need to give a lot more respect to Louisiana because at the time, really, that's where we showcased so many shows. Everybody gotta show some thanks there. It's just ironic man because rolling on the bayou man, showing it live on the internet and only 3 states were loving us, Louisiana said, "We'll take care of you." And we rocked it. Man, I stillÂ…Lake Charles. I'm going to have to go back there and visit. I gotta check that place out.
PC: Well when you do, be sure to give me a buzz.
JP: That's a done deal. And that's the thing, I'm doing this as a pro and I made $750 in the UFC; this is what I'm doing. You had to be a fool. I guess I'm a fool because I love this shit. I love training and I'm going to do it. Bottom line man, what kind of fighter was Jens? Simple, just watch one of his fights. He will tell you (laughing).
PC: A lot of fighters come back because they couldn't find anything to captivate them like fighting, making weight and training camp. What is it that you're going to do to captivate your attention the way fighting has?
JP: I think that definitely the coaching and helping others. My life has always been about that; helping others and doing things for others. The fighting aspect, I didn't do it for me, I did it for my family. It was my way of saying, "We're not all trash and we're not like our father who beats us and gives us a terrible name." I think I can get away with that. I want to be a great husband and a great father. It's all kinds of things that can be worked on. Our amateur program is nowhere where it needs to be. If they give me the opportunity to commentate for awhile, I would love to do that too. I think I can silence the fighter aspect, but being a pioneer, I have to make sure there is still a fight aspect. That's the thing, I want to walk away when I can't physically do it anymore. I think I showed the other night that I lost to an armbar. I didn't get knocked out; I'm not getting my brain concussed. I did good and I got caught again. If you followed me from day one, I never thought I was a grappler. I've fought some of the best grapplers and beat some, but I never said I was a grappler. I got caught against another very good grappler. What do I do or what do I have? In that aspect, we will see. I don't know. I think if I had to, I have plenty of things to do, working with kids and stuff like that. I'm not going to say it's easy, but I can start doing that.
PC: You have always been a blue collar guy. Anybody that knows anything about the fight game has to tip their hat to you. It's been an honor to watch you fight and to speak to you. You have had a great career and I want to personally thank you for the memories. I'm sure you have some closing thoughts for your fans.
JP: First and foremost, thank you very much for taking the time as always. I want to thank everybody. We got this documentary coming out and it was filmed through this whole thing. We're going to sit down for a week and talk about the closing. We're going to have a 2 hour movie for you guys to watch and I want to see what you think about that. That will be a gift that I can give everybody and of course that shirt. Did you guys see that Tapout shirt? I'm not trying to promote it, butÂ…
PC: No, I did see it and I thought your explanation of it was the perfect ending.
JP: If you go to the TapouT site, it's the first one on there, but you remember the old Tyson Punch Out game?
PC: Definitely.
JP: I'm a little mad because I'm in the middle. It's disgusting and it's the greatest thing I've ever seen in my life because I got the gamer in me. For a TapouT shirt to look like that, I know it had to throw everybody off. It was pretty cool. You will have to check that out. It's authentic, it's original and it says, "Game on" and I say, "Game over!" And it is for now, but I always want to thank the people that support the sport and myself. Anybody ever finds themselves in Nampa, Idaho, you should stop on by my gym, Driven Training Center, and we will go from there. I'm going to work on the clothes and keep doing my stuff with the gym and I hope my walkout shirt made a big statement because I made a Nintendo shirt so I figured it would. That's me. I had to get something cool.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]