Tag: Jens Pulver

Of the fighters on the cusp of heading into the UFC Hall of Fame, the latest one might not have been on a lot of radars.

“Lil’ Evil” [autotag]Jens Pulver[/autotag] is headed to the UFC Hall of Fame. After years of campaigning from his family, friends and fans, Pulver (27-19-1) will be part of the class of 2023, the promotion announced this past Saturday. Pulver will go into the Hall’s Pioneer Wing.

And perhaps even more memorable than the announcement itself, Pulver, 48, was shown on the UFC 284 broadcast being surprised while he hosted his regular UFC watch-along of the event on Twitch, which made for a viral moment over the weekend.

A pioneer of the lighter weight classes, Pulver was the first lightweight (then called bantamweight) champion in the promotion’s history when he defeated Caol Uno by unanimous decision at UFC 30. From 1999-2007, Pulver competed intermittently in the UFC and compiled a 6-2-1 record. Other notable wins in the UFC included B.J. Penn, whom he fought twice and coached Season 5 of “The Ultimate Fighter” opposite in 2007.

And while Pulver might not have been an obvious choice to some newer fans, his impact early in the sport is undeniable. Is he a worthy new member of the UFC Hall of Fame? And who should be next on the promotion’s list for the Hall?

That’s the question we asked this week’s “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King and Dan Tom. They broke it down with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

Check out their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s full episode below.

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[autotag]Jens Pulver[/autotag] lost all hope of ever being inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.

For years, Pulver’s friends, family and peers have campaigned for his spot in the UFC Hall of Fame but to no avail. That is, until it finally came to fruition when it was announced Saturday during the UFC 284 broadcast that he will be inducted as part of the Class of 2023.

An emotional Pulver was brought to tears when he was surprised with the news while hosting a UFC watch-along of the event on Twitch. The 48-year-old says he’d reached a point where he was convinced that it would never happen.

“I was already past that, and it’s not a joke,” Pulver told MMA Junkie Radio. “I knew I wasn’t getting in. I was done. That whole, ‘Where Are They Now?’ I’m like, ‘You know, I’ll do it.’ I’ll let people know where I’m at. It’ll help build the UFC Twitch stream. I’ll do it. I was already done with this. …

“I’m just excited. I never ever, ever expected this. I’ve got no words.”

Pulver (27-19-1) will join former featherweight champion Jose Aldo among UFC Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023. Like Aldo, Pulver is widely considered a pioneer of the promotion’s lower-weight divisions. “Lil Evil” became the inaugural UFC lightweight (then called bantamweight) champion after he defeated Caol Uno by unanimous decision at on Feb. 23, 2001 at UFC 30.

“I’m going in at the same time as Jose Aldo? Yeah, that’s pretty cool too,” Pulver said.

Throughout his UFC tenure, which stretched from 1999 to 2007, Pulver amassed a 6-2-1 record. This included a win over legend B.J. Penn, whom he fought twice and coached against on Season 5 of “The Ultimate Fighter 5” in 2007.

Pulver also went 2-2 competing in Pride. After the UFC, Pulver competed as a featherweight for Zuffa-owned WEC where he defeated Cub Swanson but lost twice to UFC Hall of Famer Uriah Faber, including once for the title at WEC 34 in 2008.