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” Jens Pulver 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.
Video: Jens Pulver’s UFC Hall of Fame induction – and who’s next?