Following a strong showing from WEC 47 in Columbus, Ohio, many questions can be poised.  Where in the world might one find Danny Castillo’s head after suffering a decapitating  head kick KO?  How the hell did Scott Jorgensen not snap Chad George’s neck with that ten-finger Guillotine Choke?  What’s next for Miguel Torres following an upset loss to Joseph Benavidez?  Was Bowles’ hand really as bad as the doctor made it seem or did Bowles just lose his desire to fight after breaking it?  You can make all the answers to these questions are your own time, the one that tugs on my heart the most is “What does Jens Pulver do now?”

We all know the story of Jens Pulver, and if you don’t then I suggest you stop reading right now and go find it out through some research.  Last night “Lil Evil” suffered his fifth consecutive loss within the WEC and his seventh loss in his last eight fights.  Pulver hasn’t even won since first joining the WEC back in 2007.  A man on a 4 fight losing streak going into Saturday night’s bout would usually never find himself on the main card, let alone fighting in the WEC.  Unless of course that man is Jens Pulver.  I think that in itself just shows how important this man is to the sport as he’s an icon and a hero to many people, with myself included.

The crowd in Columbus gave Pulver nothing but love as he received the largest reaction of the night from the crowd during his entrance, fight and even following the loss.  United as one, all fans in attendance (and likely many fans around the world) began a loud and resounding “Pulver! Pulver!” chant as the beginning seconds ticked away.  Even in less advantageous positions the fans cheered hopelessly for the legend as it seemed their cheers continued to fuel him to continue.  He was met in positions on the ground that the BJJ black belt Javier Vazquez should’ve held him in with ease but the resilient Pulver drew strength from the affection of the crowd and his own desire to win, which helped him remain alive for as long as he could.  Pulver was capable of reversing a Vazquez, who held him in a mount position, and was able to escape the dread “crucifix” position that even likes of BJ Penn have struggled to escape from.  Pulver made one fatal mistake and left his arm fully extended will Javier had him mounted.  Javier did what every BJJ practitioner knows and snatched the arm, locking Jens in an armbar of which he couldn’t escape.  As Vazquez released the submission, Pulver held his arm in obvious pain, likely having it hyper extended without any major damage.

During the post-fight interview Javier was nothing but classy as he stated even he was a fan of Jens Pulver and that he had the utmost respect for the man.  A devastated and upset Pulver began to cry in his corner as he struggled to come to terms with what had just occurred.  As he was called over to conduct his post-fight interview the audible cries of Pulver’s name through out the arena brought him into lighter spirits as the crowd began to roar like he had captured the championship instead of losing.  Jens remained upbeat and even cracked a few jokes about how “everyone knows grappling isn’t his thing”.  Pulver thanked everyone he could and stated that the most important person to thank was Dana White for giving him more than one chance and that he was thankful for the opportunities.  He also went on to state that his fans “made his life a miracle,” and that even though he makes only a little money fighting, he “does it for us “. When finally asked if this was it for Pulver, Pulver replied, “I’ll never say that directly….I love you all way, way, way too much to put you all through this again”.  As Pulver spoke he received a stand ovation from those in attendance, showing their undying respect for all Pulver has done for this sport we hold dearly to our hearts.  I’m not in the slightest embarrassed that I stood up off my couch and clapped for the man and said “Thank you Pulver,” because that man is truly an inspiration and one of my heroes.  It was heartbreaking to see him lose yet again last night, but one thing is certain, this will not be the last time we see “Lil Evil” Jen Pulver.

Written by FightPros.com contributor Dylan Routledge.  You can follow Dylan on twitter @Dylan_geezus