The one reason keeping Jens Pulver from possibly lacing up his four-ounce gloves once more following Saturday's WEC 47 loss could be the very same thing he cherishes: his fans. In a video released to his fans midnight Sunday on his Facebook page, Pulver presented contradictory remarks, sounding interested in extending his 11-year fight career, but at the same time reiterating his wish to avoid risking disappointment once more with another potential loss.
"No, I'm not done," Pulver said. "I'm disappointed. I just think it's not fair to do this to all of you, to go out there and just not get the Ws.
"But I guess in the end of it all, that's not what it's all about for me," Pulver continued. "I never did this for money. God knows I didn't do it for money. I've always done it because this is my life and this is my lifestyle, and I'm just on a no-hit streak. I just can't hit. So we're going to keep working."
in the fight, Pulver submitted to an armbar applied by Javier Vazquez in the first round -- his fifth consecutive loss and third straight by submission. While Pulver appeared in pain from the submission, the former UFC champion was not issued a medical suspension, and Pulver provided an update in his video that his right arm is swollen, but "okay."
When speaking about his future in the sport with his recently-opened Driven gym in Nampa, Ida. and his MMA-inspired clothing line, also called Driven, he reasoned that his recent losses have not threatened his long-term health.
"I'm not going to say I'm retired, but I want to build Driven, I want to build the gym, I want to keep training," Pulver said. "I feel very confident in Tony [Fryklund] and the practices that we were having. Three months working out like this and I think the changes were where.
He added: "And I got caught, you know? I'm not getting knocked out. I'm not getting put to sleep."
As the 35-year-old continues juggling with the decision to either continue fighting or retire, he's thankful for the people he can turn to for comfort.
"When we do get old and we do have to stop doing things," Pulver said. "You know, it's tough. But it's great to have friends, at least people who stop by and check-in to see how you're doing."
Stay tuned for The MMA Hour, which returns this week with Pulver as a guest.
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