Jens Pulver fighting at ONE FC 26 in Feb
Jens Pulver: “Now, let me find out that I have dementia and then come back and talk to me. Let’s see if I say the same thing then.”
Oh, the secret to a long life’s knowing when it’s time to go
-Michelle Shocked
The several-times-retired Jens Pulver just took a fight with unbeaten Fransino Tirta at ONE FC 26 on Feb 14. It is not so much a return to fighting as it is a bucket list fight at 40 thing.
Ben Fowlkes interviewed a number of fighters including Pulver for MMAJunkie, about the dangers of fighting, and when it’s time to go.
A lot of fans wish Pulver would fight no more forever, and let him know that.
I love them for it, at least the ones that are sincere, said Pulver. And you can tell by the way they talk to you if they’re sincere or not.
They’ll say, ‘Hey, just my two cents,’ and kind of frame it like that. And I actually do write people back when they do that. I tell them, ‘Look, I appreciate this.’ And I really do. I appreciate that they took the time, and that they care.
Pulver knows the dangers. And he too knows how people can fool themselves. He has relatives who knew the dangers or smoking, but smoked anyway, figuring cancer would happen to someone else.
Then they got cancer and you know they cried, said Pulver. Of course they cried. You want to cry with them. But at the same time it’s like, what did you think was going to happen?
Nothing’s guaranteed. Life isn’t guaranteed, but you ride that son of a b—- until the wheels fall off. That’s the way I look at it. Now, let me find out that I have dementia and then come back and talk to me. Let’s see if I say the same thing then.