Some may forget that before he was considered the worlds best 155-pounder, he was heralded as the best featherweight fighter in the world, though in those times the level of athlete that exists today was not there.

After a bad run in the WEC, Pulver is now back on the winning track with two consecutive victories and hopes to add another win to the column come May 27th when he takes on Brian Davidson at a catch weight of 140-pounds. The bout will serve as a measuring stick for Pulver to see if he could eventually pair down to the bantamweight class.

Following a four-year absence, Jens made his return to the UFC in 2006 though suffered losses at the hands of Joe Lauzon and BJ Penn in the lightweight class, which inevitably had Pulver rethinking his career, where he went down to the featherweight division.

After a surprise first-round submission win over Cub Swanson in his WEC debut in December of 2007, Pulver became the number one contender to the featherweight title. After five gritty rounds with then champion Urijah Faber, Pulver lost the decision however was awarded “Fight of the Night” honors. He closed out his career with the WEC with a 1-5 mark, which came to an end on the heels of a five-fight losing streak–all first-round stoppages.

Questioning retirement once he was released from his contract, Pulver tried his hand at the sport one more time, and though he initially hit a speed bump with a loss to Diego Garijo in August of last year, “Lil Evil” has since resurrected his career with a two-fight win streak, which included a first-round submission win over WEC veteran Mike Lindquist earlier this year.

During Friday night’s XFO 39 event, where Jens served as color commentator, Pulver briefly touched on his intentions for his career from here on out. Should Pulver come out successful in his next outing where he will serve as the main-event of the evening opposite of Brian Davidson at Titan FC 18, Jens sees the bantamweight class as his future.

And if all things go well, Pulver hopes to have a return to the big leagues of the UFC–though for that to happen, Jens will have to look all the more impressive in his next outing.

A former world champion, coupled with knockout power that carries over several weight classes, Pulver can be a novelty for fans to get behind–that is, if he keeps winning. But MMA peeps–do you think Jens still has the goods to get the job done? Sound off in the comment section below.

But when that man, Jens Pulver, was on the verge of ending an illustrious career on the heels of a six-fight losing streak, his heart was sunk.

Live to fight another day and get a normal job that doesn’t consist of becoming a proverbial “crash test dummy”, or give it another go and end the way you intended? Those were the kind of questions Jens has had to ask himself. But coming out on top is what Pulver did when he served headlining duties at XFO 38 and took his opponent out in less then a minute, reigniting the “Lil Evil” bandwagon.

The fan favorite former champ found it hard to leave the sport knowing that he has let not only himself, but his loyal fans down over the years since being unable to record a win in almost 4 years (not since a submission win over Cub Swanson in 2007 in the WEC).

When friend Jeff Curran took him under his wing and had him train at his school in Chicago for an entire eight-week training camp, evidence of hard work being paid off was there when the striker became the grappler, submitting WEC veteran Mike Lindquist with a 49-second rear-naked choke.

Pulver survived an early shotgun blast of strikes from Mike, who was likely trying to exploit the fact that Jens’ back was against the wall with his recent streak of misfortunes. Pulver stayed calm, weathered the storm and brought the fight to the mat before he turned things around from there.

Now, the pioneer of the lighter tier fighters will begin his rise back to the top (slowly but surely) when he returns in March to fight for the Chicago Cagefighting Championship promotion, serving headlining duties once again.

While Jens may likely never return to championship form at the age of 36, he still holds that champion spirit nonetheless, and hopes to give his fans some more good fights from here on out.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of Pulver’s recent victory? Should he hang it up while he has the chance, or would you like to see the former titleholder stick around a little while longer? Sound off in the comment section below.

Here’s what Pulver had to say over at MMA Fighting as he heads into his January 22 fight against Mike Lindquist: “I’m trying to put Lil’ Evil to bed, if that makes sense, so I can retire the right way… I can’t go out the way I’ve gone. Not from being a world champion to losing six fights in a row…  I’m not doing it for the financial side of it… You only live once. Can I make up for the things that I’ve done wrong, for the people I’ve disappointed? Can I still get out there and fight? That’s what I want to prove to myself.”

I understandably have my reservations, but I will say that I immensely respect Jens Pulver. I’ll go one step further: I honestly do hope that he’s able to retire on a high note, I hope he wins his upcoming fight and any future fights that he may or may not have. Pulver refuses to go quietly into the night, and whether or not you consider that the definition of a warrior or a perfect example of stupidity, you’ve just got to admire Pulver’s dedication.

But there’s a difference between what Pulver wants and what is most likely going to happen, and there’s a reason why so few comebacks of this kind end up working. The reason is quite simple, and yet it’s spelled doom for athletes since what feels like forever: the mind is willing but the body is weak.

It’s true that Jens Pulver isn’t even forty yet. But the following is also true: Pulver has competed as a professional Mixed Martial Artist for over a decade. He’s been KO’d six times and submitted seven times. His last five losses have all been first-round submissions: three of them were before the two-minute mark, and one was barely over thirty seconds. Pulver’s big comeback just isn’t happening.

Pulver can only fight the reality of his situation for so long, and to be bluntly honest, reality has winning this fight for quite some time now. While none of us truly knows what the future holds, do any of us really doubt that Jens Pulver is several fights past the point of no return? Whether he likes to admit it or not, Pulver should retire with whatever dignity he has left, rather than continue to chase the dream of making a triumphant comeback… because while it may be an undeniable cliché, it’s also an undeniable fact that that’s one dream that has most definitely turned into a nightmare.

And what about you, fans and friends? Is there any hope left for Jens Pulver? What’s next for “Lil’ Evil”, win or lose?

The former UFC lightweight champion is scheduled to appear in the early going’s of 2011, under the CFX/Extreme Challenge co-promoted card in the Target Center.

Pulver, who returned to the UFC in 2006 after leaving the organization four years earlier due to contract issues (also vacating his title in the process) went 0-2 in his return, losing to Joe Lauzon and BJ Penn. The bout with Penn was the culmination of their stint shared on “The Ultimate Fighter” season five, when both fighters served as the season’s coaches.

After his stint back in the UFC, Pulver was later signed to the organization’s sister promotion, the WEC in the 145-pound organization. After an initial victory over contender Cub Swanson, a swift submission victory via guillotine choke in just 35 seconds inside the first round, helped catapult Pulver back into the limelight and he was vaunted as the next number one contender to the featherweight title against then champion Urijah Faber. Jens battled through the full 5 rounds, had his moments, but ultimately lost by unanimous decision.

Additional losses to Leonard Garcia, a second loss to Faber, Josh Grispi, and Javier Vazquez prompted his inevitable release from the Zuffa banner. Since his release, it was speculated then that Pulver would hang it up and finally consider himself retired.

However, Jens, 35, returned to the lightweight division for a fight against Diego Garijo under the Powerhouse Worlds Promotions this past August.

Maybe a seventh loss will signal his inevitable retirement. Do I want him to lose? Of course not. He’s a legend in the sport, a pioneer for the both the featherweight and lightweight divisions, which at one point he was considered the best at both weight classes, and he’s all around a genuine person, which is hard to find in this sport. But do I think he needs to retire? Do you agree MMA peeps? Sound off in the comment section below.

“We’re really excited to have him up here fighting in Minneapolis. He’s obviously a legend, one of the best ever. We’re honored to be able to see him fight here in Minnesota. It’s not every day that a UFC champion fights here. Jens wants to keep fighting, but he knows he needs a couple of wins to keep doing that. He hopes to start that here in Minnesota.”

Thanks to MiddleEasy.com for the find.

First off, I don’t believe for a second that the Lightweight division has passed Penn by. Penn outright demolished Kenny Florian, who up to that point was on a fantastic win streak and looking better in every single fight. Penn also dominated Diego Sanchez, a dynamic striker, by out-striking him. I don’t think Penn is done. I don’t believe for a second that he’s peaked at the age of 31. The only thing I think holding back BJ Penn is BJ Penn.

Because honestly, it seems like you never know what BJ Penn you’re going to get nowadays. He’s been dominating people in brilliant fashion ever since Caol Uno nine years ago. Then again, his inability to measure up even when the odds are ridiculously stacked in his favor is also rooted in history, ever since he lost to Jens Pulver in 2002. When Penn first started his Lightweight rebirth, he was frank in admitting that, for the most part, he slacked off in training and allowed his off-the-charts natural ability to carry him through. With Penn’s newfound honesty and determination, he looked unstoppable as a Lightweight. But I think it’s clear that old habits die hard when you’re BJ Penn.

I want to say that BJ Penn needs a challenge to really bring out the best in him, but he had a challenge at UFC 118 and still didn’t measure up. So in all honesty, I don’t know what BJ Penn needs right now. Leading up to UFC 118, Penn had every reason to put on the performance of his life. What we got is something that will probably one day be remembered as one of worst performances of his career. Penn was motivated, he was determined, he wanted that belt back really, really bad. But it just didn’t happen.

There are two things I think Penn needs to do in the here and now. To start, I think Penn needs to go back to basics. His gameplan against Edgar was predominantly striking-based. He needs to bring back his awesome Brazilian Jui Jitsu game in a big way. He needs to use his striking to set up submissions, rather than to out-box his opponent. But perhaps most importantly, he needs to take a break. Penn has been running himself ragged, he’s fought two grueling five-rounders in the span of four months. Penn needs a break to rejuvenate, rest up, tend to any lingering injuries no matter how minor, and most importantly, he needs to get away from it all at least for a few months so he can have the proper amount of time to search his soul and determine what his next career move is.

All in all, there’s still a future in the UFC for BJ Penn. I just don’t know what that future is, and I don’t think even BJ Penn knows what his future holds right now. But Penn is far too talented to ever completely vanish from the MMA landscape. He’s pulled through some tough times and came back from some big losses before, and I have no doubt that he’ll do it again. It’s just a matter of time.

But what do you think, fans and friends? Where does BJ Penn go from here?

In some regards, Pulver’s situation closely resembles both Ken Shamrock’s and Matt Hughes’. Like both men, their respective divisions have both caught up with them, leading to some very tough losses. Like Shamrock, Pulver’s weight division has entirely passed him by, and his insistent need to keep fighting is really damaging his career legacy. Unlike Shamrock, and quite like Matt Hughes, Pulver wasn’t a case of a “big fish in a small pond”. Pulver did beat some pretty legitimate threats, the prime example being his Majority Decision win over BJ Penn. Unlike Matt Hughes, Pulver hasn’t been able to keep in step with the radical changes MMA has gone through since his heyday as UFC Lightweight Champion. Pulver is a case of not being able to teach an old dog new tricks.

The ability to adapt to today’s MMA scene varies from veteran to veteran, but in the case of Pulver, losing four straight via submission is all the proof I need to know that Pulver won’t ever get his submission defense to where it needs to be. Unfortunately for Pulver, his chin isn’t what it used to be either. Pulver’s chin has been in a slow state of degradation ever since he got KO’d by Duane Ludwig back in 2003. It’s a sad fact that Pulver has only ever lost one fight by decision in all the years he’s been fighting: in his eleven-year career, he’s been submitted six times and (T)KO’d seven. He still has some of that old power in his hands, but there’s simply too much stacked against him nowadays.

I know how hard it must be for Pulver to accept that he needs to retire at 35, but once again, this is a matter of “ring age” versus “actual age”. Pulver has been fighting for eleven years, and he’s been involved in countless brutal wars. Starting with his first submission loss in 1999, he’s been knocked down, knocked out, choked out, and tapped out. He’s had highs, he’s had lows, and he’s got nothing left to prove to anybody but himself. Jens Pulver needs to realize that there’s no shame in calling it a career, especially after the career he’s had. If Jens Pulver continues to fight and continues to lose, it won’t be long before he’s known as the next Ken Shamrock, rather than one of the best of a bygone era.

And what do you think, fans and friends? Does Jens Pulver have a few more fights left in him, or is it time to throw in the towel?

Jens Pulver

The announcement has been made official, “Little Evil” Jens Pulver (22-13-1) has been cut from Zuffa. This means he is no longer working for the UFC or the WEC. Jens had worked on as a member of the broadcast team for both UFC and WEC events in the past and was rumored to be taking a job as a full time commentator for the WEC, something the fans seemed excited about. However all that came to a halt weeks ago when the rumor started that Jens was getting cut.

After the UFC 114 press conference Saturday UFC president Dana White stated “He has been released. We had talked about Jens being a part of the WEC somehow, but he’s not broadcasting.”

Dana White

I think we at Fighters.com need to rethink the way we do business because according to the UFC president, “Most of these goofy MMA sites, what you have to understand is, these guys are in it for the money,” said White. “They get paid from all the smaller promotions. They get paid a lot of money from the smaller promotions. So they feel like they have to put some of their guys. That’s the way it works. It’s sick and drives me crazy.

This is what he told Steve Cofield of Yahoo.com when discussing mixed martial arts (MMA) rankings and specifically the pound-for-pound lists that have “The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (31-1) on the list. “(Fedor’s) not even the best heavyweight in the world,” said White. “To put him on the pound-for-pound list. I think some of these guys don’t even know what pound-for-pound means. It’s just so disrespectful to all the other fighters it’s crazy.”

“It’s not a real pound-for-pound list. Either they don’t know pound-for-pound is or the obvious is they’re being paid.”

I am unaware of any MMA sites that get paid off for their rankings nor do I know anyone with a MMA site that is in this for the money as most make very little covering the sport but do it for the love of MMA.

KJ Noons

Strikeforce: Los Angeles which takes place on June 16 just received a new fight. KJ Noons was (7-2) stepping inside the cage to fight “Crazy Horse” Charles Bennett (22-16-2) at Strikeforce: San Jose. Sadly Bennett has pulled out of the fight for reasons that have not been made clear as of yet.

Stepping in to replace Bennett is “Hurricane” Conor Heun (4-3) and that fight is now moved up to the Los Angeles card which happens in conjunction with the E3 expo, Electronic Entertainment Expo which is an annual video game conference.

The WEC, a Zuffa owned company, has always done well in the production department but last night they made a huge error in using “The American Psycho” Stephan Bonnar (11-7) as on air talent. We usually find Fighters.com third-ranked Frank Mir (13-4) behind the mic but due to his upcoming fight they needed to bring in another person. Bonnar looked wide-eyed when the camera was on him and generally made me want to turn away from the television. He creeped me out to be completely honest. Then to have to be subjected to his commentary, it was as if someone was punishing me. The pick of Bonnar confuses me as he is not a huge star and I am sure with all the fighters that had already planned on being in Columbus, Ohio for the Arnold’s Sports Festival someone better suited could have been found. Hopefully the next time Frank is training for a fight they can find anyone other than Bonnar or else I will have to listen with the television on mute.

Once again the quality of most of the fights was top notch. There was the exception of the fight between LC Davis (15-1) and Deividas Taurosevicius (12-4). This fight offered little in the way of quality action with most of the fight taking place against the cage in the clinch. Normally I love good clinch work and some dirty boxing but this fight seemed to drag on as I was sitting there hoping for it to end and did not care how it ended, unlike the main event.

The main event featured WEC champion Brian Bowles (8-1) taking on Dominic Cruz (14-1) in a fight many thought would be a knock out victory for Bowles. Sadly the fight did not exactly go as fans and media would have liked. No one likes a fight to be stopped for an injury. It leaves you feeling unsatisfied and not confident that the win is actually a win. I do understand that the doctor can stop a fight at any time and it is their job to keep the fighters safe. Having said that, at the end of the second round I was excited and looking forward to the rest of this war. Then I hear Bowles can’t continue and was sitting there in disbelief. I am sure Bowles was feeling worse than any of us as he just lost his title and was not knocked out, submitted nor did he lose a decision. That is a hard pill to swallow both for the fighters and the fans albeit part of the sport.

We also witnessed what may be the end of a legend when “Lil Evil” Jens Pulver (22-13-1) lost last night in the first round via armbar to “Showtime” Javier Vazquez (13-4). Jens was working hard on the ground and I was actually impressed with some of his reversals and escapes but Javier was just to much and you knew if Jens could not get back to his feet eventually he would get submitted. No one likes to see a legend in any sport go out with five losses in a row and seven of his last eight. We tend to cheer for guys like Jens but sometimes it happens. I know I will miss seeing him inside a cage and hope to see him get a job with the WEC. Maybe he can fill in for Frank Mir next time so we can all be spared.

One of the highlights of the night was the fight between Joseph Benavidez (9-1) and Miguel Torres (36-3). Torres came into the fight with something to prove after losing his title to Bowles at WEC 42. The mark of a champion is after all, how they rebound from defeat. Torres is a good but not great striker but his ground game is excellent. It was amazing to see him get submitted via Guillotine Choke in the second round. I look forward to watching him fight again as I think these losses are great learning experiences and will fix some of the holes in his game.

All in all I was once again impressed with the WEC and Reed Harris. It was without a doubt a great show on an amazing weekend in Columbus, Ohio.

Former champ Miguel Torres (36-2) and “Little Evil” Jens Pulver (22-10-1) will also appear on the card.

Bowles is coming off of a first-round knockout of Torres to win the title at WEC 42 in Las Vegas August 9.

Cruz bested Joseph Benavidez (7-1) in a unanimous decision the same night.

Pulver publicly battled inner demons such as depression over the years and seemingly left the sport of MMA for good following his loss to Josh Grispi (1-0) at WEC 41 in June of 2009. But, the early UFC superstar found recent success through medication over his mental disorders and is motivated to make a run at a comeback.

WEC 47 will occur in Columbus alongside the 2010 Arnold Sports Festival.

In a post from his official Facebook profile Pulver stated, “Tomorrow I start training camp.”

Pulver hasn’t been booked for a specific WEC event yet, a source close to the fighter’s training camp told MMA Junkie.

Pulver publicly battled inner demons such as depression over the years and seemingly left the sport of MMA for good following his loss to Josh Grispi (1-0) at WEC 41 in June of 2009. But, the early UFC superstar found recent success through medication over his mental disorders and is motivated to make a run at a comeback.

“Chad, I am not going to do this interview,” Sylvia graciously responded.  “I don’t like how this whole thing is coming accross.  Sorry.”

Below are the questions that Sylvia refused to answer along with what Fighters.com could dig-up.  You decide if Fighters.com’s questions were out of line.  Of course, Fighters.com would prefer to put Sylvia on the record on the issues fans are chattering about.   And, Fighters.com stands by everything written here as told by reliable sources, but sources can only speak from their point of view.   It’s unfortunate Sylvia won’t tell his story.

Fighters.com: Looking back, was the “Merciless” Ray Mercer (1-1) fight a good decision?

Sources close to Adrenaline MMA 3 told Fighters.com that, good decision or bad, Sylvia’s fight versus the 48-year old former boxing champion was a career move that Sylvia and his manager, Monte Cox, felt was safe enough.

Recall Sylvia had pocketed $800,000, not including unreported bonuses, for his 36-second submission loss to Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (30-1) at Affliction in Anaheim in July 2008, an unsustainable salary for Affliction to continue paying out after the loss and damage to Sylvia’s marketability.  Recall also that Affliction had begun renegotiating contracts after their debut and Fighters.com’s sources say Sylvia’s purse was slashed for his scheduled return versus “Headhunter” Paul Buentello (27-9).  Promotions in Japan were also calling Sylvia, but offering about two-thirds Sylvia’s asking price without providing fights highly visible in the important American market.

Sylvia had long fancied himself a potential boxing champion and thought boxing could provide additional opportunities to score paydays while he rebuilt his status in mixed martial arts.

It was Mercer’s manager who originally contacted Cox to pitch an MMA fight between Mercer and Sylvia, a fight Cox and Sylvia were not interested in because it couldn’t rebuild Sylvia’s status in MMA.  However, both Cox and Sylvia were interested in a boxing match to serve as Sylvia’s debut in the squared circle.

Sylvia was quite blatant about his intentions.  “It’s not secret I intend to use Ray as a stepping-stone for boxing.  No doubt about it,” Sylvia admitted during a pre-fight presser.

Sylvia’s and Cox’s attitudes were, “What do we have to lose?”  If Sylvia had out-boxed Mercer, it could’ve lead to some highly-visible boxing matches that could’ve reignited Sylvia’s MMA marketability and provide a secondary income stream.  If Sylvia had been out-boxed by Mercer, he would’ve been beaten by a former Olympian and world heavyweight champion boxer in a sport Sylvia had never fought in before and Sylvia would’ve been satisfied that his dreams of boxing glory were only dreams.

Perhaps lost among those career considerations was the fight itself versus a still-dangerous Mercer, except among Sylvia’s friends.

“Li’l Evil” Jens Pulver (22-12-1) ominously warned Sylvia, godfather to Pulver’s son, before the fight, “Professionally, sometimes you just got to step back and go ‘Damn, Tim.  What are you doin’?'”  Pulver added,  “I think they’re taking this fight with Mercer as a sparring bout.  And you’re gonna find out real fast…Mercer probably isn’t taking it as a sparring bout.  He’s not going to swing like it’s a sparring bout.”

And, Sylvia’s physical condition entering the fight implied he and his trainers weren’t taking the boxing match seriously.  Syliva weighed a career-high 310.6 pounds for the fight.

But, Sylvia was further emboldened when the Association of Boxing Commissions reversed its initial decision to allow the River Cree Combative Sports Commission to sanction the boxing bout in Alabama, a state without its own sanctioning body, and declared the boxing match illegal.  Mercer agreed to change the rules to MMA, but challenged Sylvia’s manhood to fight Mercer’s fight regardless of the rule changes.

As an MMA fight, it should’ve been a safe bet for Sylvia.  Cox could be heard just before the bell telling Sylvia, “Don’t fuck around with this guy.  Don’t let him get to you.  Go in there, take him down, and finish him on the ground.”

But, Mercer had evidently got to Sylvia’s pride.  At the first ding-ding, Sylvia walked directly to the middle of the cage, threw a pawing leg kick, and proceeded to box Mercer in their four-ounce MMA gloves.  Nine-seconds later, Sylvia was on his back after a short Mercer right hook.

Fighters.com speculates that it wasn’t the matchup versus Mercer Sylvia regrets, but perhaps his attitude towards it.  Sylvia’s and Cox’s initial estimations that the matchup was safe enough were probably correct, but, again, lost among the career considerations was the fight itself and how serious even a 48-year old former boxing world champion is.

Fighters.com:  In a video at tenth-ranked “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski‘s (14-7) website recently, Andrei identified you as the guy he’d most like to fight, probably the same way you want to get your hands on third-ranked Frank Mir (12-4).  What do you think about another rematch with Arlovski?   ”Snowman” Jeff Monson also told Fighters.com he’d like a rematch with you. With two known, good heavyweight free agents calling you out, why are you fighting Riley?  Is the downside risk versus Riley much greater than any reward, like it was in the Mercer fight?

A source close to Sylvia’s camp told Fighters.com, “Arlovski’s manager would be crazy to let [Arlovski] fight Tim again.  [Arlovski] has already been beaten twice by Tim and everyone thinks Arlovski is washed-up too.  If Tim beats him again now, it doesn’t do anything for Tim.”

To be clear, Arlovski’s manager is not the one publicly calling for the rematch.  It’s Arlovski himself, who recently repeated that he’d fight Sylvia again “any time, any place” and added about Sylvia’s UFC return aspirations, “Nobody don’t want to sign Tim Sylvia.”  It’s becoming a battle of words about who’s considered more washed-up between the two former UFC champs.

About a rematch versus Monson, Fighters.com’s source said, “It was so boring the first time, I don’t think I could sit through another three rounds of that fight.  Who would pay to watch that again?”

Actually, Sylvia’s and Arlovski’s dilemmas are the same.  They’re marquee names and still competitive heavyweights, but their perceived marketability has been devalued by their recent losses.  But, as soon as Sylvia and Arlovski accept paydays lower than their established purses, they’ve devalued themselves.  So, they want to be stubborn about the paydays they’ll accept in order to maintain their status in the market.  Sylvia is surely taking a pay cut to fight Riley at Adrenaline MMA, but it’s a pay cut his manager, Cox, can obfuscate because Cox is also the fight’s promoter.

They also want their fights televised because they’re trying to prove to MMA fans they’ve got a lot of fight left.  For Sylvia and Arlovski, fighting a fight that no one sees, even for a big payday, doesn’t help them rebuild.

Except for the UFC and Strikeforce, that’s a tall order for any smaller promotion.  And, once a small promotion lays out the cash to put Sylvia or Arlovski atop their fight card, there’s not a lot of cash left to match them versus an equally big-named opponent.  So, when Sylvia or Arlovski find that golden deal, they’re going to be fighting guys like Riley.  It’s the economics of the industry that has made Riley Sylvia’s opponent at Adrenaline MMA 4 Friday.  Sources close to the event told Fighters.com they were lucky to find Riley because no one wanted to fight Sylvia at the available payout.

Guys like Riley aren’t big names, but are dangerous fighters.  Though Sylvia is the favorite, Riley is both capable of beating Sylvia and has nothing to lose, like Mercer in Sylvia’s previous fight.  Sylvia has everything to lose if he gets beaten by Riley.  So, the risk Sylvia is taking to fight Riley is the end of his career as a top-paid heavyweight fighter should Sylvia lose, while the reward is the continuance of Sylvia’s career as a top-paid heavyweight fighter should Sylvia win.  It’s an all or nothing gamble.

Fighters.com: Did you bed Arlovski’s ex-girlfriend, Patricia Mikula?

This question is personal, but Fighters.com told Sylvia he didn’t need to answer it.  The rumor is persistent and Fighters.com wanted to give Sylvia the opportunity to address it.

Fighters.com can only confirm Sylvia and Mikula were together in public at Adrenaline MMA 1 outside of Chicago in June 2008.

Fighers.com: What are you going to weigh coming in to Omaha?

Sylvia weighed-in at 310.6 pounds before his knockout loss to Mercer in June, 47.6 pounds over his previous fight at Affliction in July 2008.  Fighters.com was told by a source close to Sylvia that Sylvia weighed approximately 285 pounds two weeks ago and should weigh-in Thursday near the 265-pound MMA heavyweight limit.

Fighters.com: How do you feel when you hear UFC President Dana White dog on you now, saying that it was a weak division when you were UFC champion?  Other than Adrenaline MMA, what other organizations might you fight in over the next year?

Evidently Sylvia isn’t taking White’s barbs personally because he told Inside MMA he plans to return to the Octagon.  Steady paychecks soften hard feelings.  However, Fighters.com has been told by sources inside Sylvia’s camp that they feel like White is sacrificing Sylvia’s legacy as UFC champ to talk down Emelianenko as the world’s top heavyweight, whom quickly handled Sylvia and refuses to sign with the UFC.

Fighters.com’s sources have also confirmed Sylvia has already lined-up another fight before the end of 2009 on a smaller show, though the sources wouldn’t reveal the name of the promotion.

Fighters.com: Have you ever considered training anywhere else than “Croatian Sensation” Pat Miletich‘s (29-7-2) gym in Davenport?

Yes.  Fighters.com has confirmed that Sylvia has spent time training in other camps, including with Mark DellaGrotte at Sityodtong in Boston and “El Guapo” Bas Rutten (28-4-1) at Elite MMA in Los Angeles.  However, Militech’s gym remains Sylvia’s home gym.

The following questions remain unswered because only Sylvia knows their answers.  However, Fighters.com doesn’t think asking these questions was out of line.

Fighters.com: After the shape you came in and the result of the Mercer fight, a lot of fans are questioning whether your heart is in fighting anymore. How was the loss to Fedor Emelianenko affected your attitude towards this sport?

…

Fighters.com: Arlovksi recently admitted playing Russian roulette after losing his fight to Emelianenko and fifth-ranked “Grim” Brett Rogers (10-0). Was your lowest point ever that low?

…

Adrenaline MMA 4 will be held at the Mid-American Center in Council Bluffs on September 18.  The undercard will start at 7:30 PM; the main card will be broadcast on HDNet beginning at 9:00 PM.  Pre-sale tickets start at $33 for general admission, $103 ringside, and $530 for a table of ten.  Purchase tickets at Ticketmaster.

Besides the title defense by WEC Lightweight Champion “The Worm” Jamie Varner (15-3) against “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone (8-1), WEC 38 will feature a rematch between “California Kid” Urijah Faber (21-2) and “Little Evil” Jens Pulver (22-9-1).

Faber, then the Featherweight Champion, earned a unanimous decision victory over Pulver in their first fight at WEC 34 in June.

Faber lost his title at WEC 36 in November when he was TKO’d at 2:23 of round one by Mike Thomas Brown (16-4).

Pulver also lost his last fight at the same event.  He was TKO’d at 1:12 of the first round by “Bad Boy” Leonard Garcia (11-3).

Brown took the title decisively following a right hand that laid the former champ out. 

Chael Sonnen (21-9-1) won a surprisingly boring unanimous decision over Fighters.com’s third-ranked middleweight and WEC Middleweight Champion Paulo Filho (15-1) in a non-title fight that was heckled by fans throughout.  Official scores were 10-9 twice for Sonnen, 10-8 for Sonnen.

 ”Bad Boy” Leonard Garcia (11-3) dismantled “Little Evil” Jens Pulver (22-9-1) in a 1:12 TKO shocker to move up the ranks in the WEC’s stacked 145-pound division.

Jake Rosholt (5-0) powered to victory over Nissen Osterneck (4-1) in the second round via TKO stoppage.

Rani Yahya (12-2), Danny Castillo (4-1), “The Fury” Carmelo Marrero (9-2), Jose Aldo (11-1), “The A-Train” Aaron Simpson (2-0) and “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone (8-1) were all winners within the cage as well. 

Brown Shocks Faber To Take the WEC Featherweight Title

The arena was pumped for the title bout of the night as Mike Thomas Brown entered to a favorable home crowd.  The fight started quick as expected, but soon tied up into the clinch.  Both fighters threw leather, but Brown’s right hand set the tone for the surprise to follow. 

“I train with the best team in the world.  All I have to do is perfrom like I do in training each day.  I don’t have a lot of knockouts on my record, but I hit fucking hard, man,” announced the new WEC Featherweight Champion, Brown. 

Faber rushed in with a careless elbow attempt only to get tagged with a hard and heavy right hand from the challenger.  Faber went down to the mat and covered up as Brown plastered the champ with punches.  Referee Troy Waugh stopped the fight at 2:23 of the first round. 

Sonnen Glides To A Boring Victory Over An Overweight and Passive Filho

Filho’s entrance into the cage proved to be a metaphor for his performance to come as fans heckled loudly in disapproval in what most assume was a reaction to the veteran’s failure in making weight for the bout. 

The fight between Filho and Sonnen was an absolute deflation to an evening of otherwise exciting and fast-paced bouts.  Filho preferred to lay on his back for the majority of the fight resulting in continuous stand-ups by the referee.  During the fight, Sonnen definitely scored in the stand-up game, but showed hesitation at moments in answering Filho’s lackluster performance. 

Sonnen seemed satisfied to pepper his opponent with jabs and the occasional straight shot resulting in what appeared more as an exhausted round of western boxing set to a chorus of moans and vocal disappointment by the fans on hand. 

Sonnen took a unanimous decision win in this unfortunately boring mixed martial arts sequel. 

Garcia Stuns Pulver With Heavy Hands

Going into the fight,  Garcia hoped for a stand-up war with veteran “Little Evil”.  Although temporarily wobbled by a flurry of punches early from Pulver, Garcia weathered the storm to eventually land a strong right hand.

Pulver was immediately rocked falling to his knees and visibly hurt.  Garcia went in for the kill and unleashed a storm of punches resulting in a quick and surprising stoppage.  It was all over but the shouting at 1:12 of round one.

Rosholt Overpowers Osterneck

This middleweight challenge started out with the lightning fast pace of a typical featherweight affair.  Both fighters came out swinging with Nissen Osterneck (4-1) swarming Rosholt with a sloppy but continuous barrage of fists.  But, it wasn’t long before the superior wrestling skill of Rosholt took root and found Osterneck on the receiving end of pounding following numerous takedowns. 

Osterneck attempted a few submissions only to find himself mounted again and again by the feisty Rosholt. Momentarily in the second round Osterneck caught Rosholt with another flurry of punches, but the wrestler survived the clash only to get his hooks in again and score another strong mount.  The second round came to an official end via TKO stoppage at 3:48 with Rosholt pounding his way to victory.

The A-Train Railroads Avellan 

Pardon all the clichés here, but if ever there was an train wreck in the cage, this was certainly one for the ages.  “The A-Train” Simpson landed a devastating overhand right at 0:18 of the first round sending David Avellan (5-1) into the realms of unconsciousness.  It was a strong KO victory for Simpson augmenting his undefeated record in stunning fashion.

Yahya Chokes Maeda

Yoshiro Maeda (23-6-2) secured an early guillotine in what appeared to be a potentially tight and winning submission only to have Yahya escape and come back with a guillotine of his own.  Yahya hung on strongly to the choke, making Maeda tap at 3:30 of the first round. 

Castillo Stops Dias

Rafael Dias (12-5) was winning on the cards in round one with more technique all around against more wild shots coming from Castillo.  The fight was up and down with Dias looking the better of the two.

Round two found the two fighters in familiar exchange. Dias scored a takedown while Castillo attempted a guillotine. Castillo then tried for an armbar that proved too loose. Dias took Castillo’s back for a moment, but then wound up on the bottom.

But, it was a missed shoot by Dias that finally delivered the ending.  After missing the shoot, Castillo got on top and rained down punches until the fight was stopped at the 2:54 mark.

Marrero Wins The Split Over Steinbeiss 

Marrero’s wrestling skills came in handy for the UFC veteran in the bout against “The Hooligan” Steve Steinbeiss (4-2).

Taking Steinbeiss down often, Marrero avoided submission attempts.  The fighters utilized all weapons, exchanging body kicks in the second round before Marrero appeared gassed in the closing minutes.

Steinbeiss appeared fresh in round three, delivering shots to Marrero and temporarily stunning him.  Winning the round, Steinbeiss nearly got caught in a late guillotine attempt and took an elbow.  The final round ended with Steibeiss in the guard.

Marrero won a split decision with a 29-28 score twice against Steibeiss’ 29-28 third round score. 

Aldo Defeats Brookins In Late Round Stoppage

Aldo scored much better than Jonathan Brookins (8-2) through the first two rounds and winning on the cards.

Aldo came into the second round with a knot over his eye even though he handed out the worse of the stand-up punishment.  Brookins looked surprisingly crisp in the second, but eventually took a lot of damage via leg kicks.

In the third round, Aldo dropped Brookins with a left hook and laid down the leather.  Taking a lot of punches but also hanging in, referee Troy Waugh stepped in and stopped the fight at 0:45 of the final round. 

The Cowboy Disposes The Razor

“Razor” Rob McCullough (16-5) came out with strong low kicks against Cerrone, only to have them answered by the middle of the first round.  Cerrone dropped McCullough with a right and mounted the injured fighter.  An elbow cut McCullough and eventually resulted in a stop to inspect the cut.  The first round started back up; and, Cerrone dropped McCullough again, but was saved by the bell.

In the second, a right uppercut dropped McCullough yet again, but ended up with Cerrone on the bottom.  Cerrone then grabbed an armbar; but, McCullough escaped.

The third round found McCullough landing an overhand right; but, Cerrone soon answered with leg kicks.  There were equal exchanges, but Cerrone turned on the heat and scored a strong takedown.  Cerrone landed a combination of punches late in the final round that hurt McCullough yet again.

Cerrone won a very clear unanimous decision.

After submitting Cub Swanson (12-2) with a guillotine choke in 35 seconds at his WEC debut in December, Pulver lost the unanimous decision in his five-round battle with current Featherweight Champion “California Kid” Urijah Faber (21-1) in June.

Garcia, who has been battling drug charges, most of which have been dropped, last fought at his WEC debut in February when he TKO’d “Streetfight Bancho” Hiroyuki Takaya (9-5-1) in the first round.

Also official on the WEC 36 card are:

“Indio” Danillo Villefort (8-2) v Jake Rosholt (4-0)
“Razor” Rob McCullough (16-4) v “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone (8-0)
Rani Yahya (11-4) v Yoshiro Maeda (23-5-2)
Johny Hendricks (3-0) v “Russian Crusher” Alex Serdyukov (8-4)
“9mm” Ed Ratcliff (6-1) v Danny Castillo (5-1)

Headlining the event are Faber and Mike Thomas Brown (19-4) in a featherweight title fight, and a middleweight title rematch between Fighters.com’s third-ranked “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0) and Chael Sonnen (20-9-1).

It all started when a hometown acquaintance of Garcia’s was arrested with a large amount of cocaine back in 2005. 

Unfortunately for Garcia, his visitor was caught right outside of Garcia’s home with the stash.

“This was something that happened way before I was in the UFC or the WEC.  I had kind of took a wrong turn in life and had a poor judgment of friends,” Garcia said.

The WEC featherweight stand out was charged as a co-conspirator and connected to a South Texas drug ring, affecting whis whole family, which includes Jackson’s MMA.

The news shocked the entire mixed martial arts world and especially Garcia.

Garcia, who is out on bond, found out in early June that the federal charges of drug conspiracy were dropped.

Only state charges remain and Garcia claimed, “I am innocent to the charges they have brought up, but I was guilty by association.”

He also added, “I am hoping for the state to drop their charges or to plea to an obstruction of justice charge.”

Garcia ensures Fighters.com that he is 100% innocent on all charges.

Garcia was in good spirits as he talked to Fighters.com about his future in the sport and wanting to fight “The California Kid” Uriah Faber (21-1), the current WEC Featherweight Champion, or “Lil Evil” Jens Pulver (22-9-1) for what he thinks he deserves:

“That WEC belt, that’s what I want.  I am ready for Uriah or Jens.  Bring them on!”

He also went on about how coach’s and teammates say he is pound-for-pound the hardest hitter at Jackson’s MMA.

Garcia said, “I am the hardest hitter a 145-pounds” and plans on letting Faber or Pulver feel just how hard he hits.

The Lubbock, Texas native also made sure to add, “I am ready to go back to Albuquerque and Jackson’s with my teammates Cowboy, Damacio, coach Winks, and of course Greg.  I miss all those guys a lot”.