Folks that know me know that I love Mixed Martial Arts (or Ultimate Fighting as the general public thinks of it). I am a total MMA geek. My MMA knowledge base, and passion, is as great as it is for films.
My interest in MMA came in January of 2002. I heard an interview with Jens “Little Evil” Pulver, then Ultimate Fighting Championship Lightweight champion. He was promoting a fight in which he was a huge underdog. He talked about his childhood, rough by any measure, and how wrestling saved his life. His father was an abusive drunk, but his wrestling gave him pride and happiness…until it was time to go back home.
This polite gentleman was not what I expected. He fought in a freakin’ cage for a living! He should be gruff and/or stupid.
But he was neither of those things and I was intrigued enough to check out the pay per view. That night, he came from behind and won a majority decision to retain his title.
Without Jens Pulver, I might have never discovered a sport that has captured my passion and attention. For that, I owe him.
Now, a documentary about him is being made. That project is struggling to come up with funding to reach completion. Anyone that can help, I ask you to take a look at this clip and see if it clicks with you. This is not a show about fighting, but about a man that has attempted to rise from his past.
This is a film that needs to be made. The story of a good man trying to live up to his potential and continue to compete in a sport that he loves and, if nothing else, go out with his head held high. This is a man that once, when only seven years old, had his father stick a gun in his mouth. Had that happened to me, I would likely be weaving baskets today.
Here are a few words from Gregory Bayne, the man behind the film:
I recently had the good fortune to meet Jens Pulver, the first Lightweight World Champion in the UFC. He is an incredible individual with an amazing personal story, who is now, (at age 34, and after four straight losses), returning to the cage on March 6, 2010 to fight in what may be his final bout.
He is determined to come out on top, and I’m determined to capture every moment on this journey.
Below is a little teaser trailer I put together this week to capture Jens’s voice, the essence of the story, and the tone of the film I am looking to make.
We’re all fighting for something…whether it’s fighting to get away from something, or to get to something new, fighting for what is right, for our families, or to simply stay alive. Jens’s life story has run this entire gamut, and reflects our basic human struggle to overcome adversity at all costs.
I feel privileged to be the one to tell it.
I am going to update the films progress here, and eventually at it’s own site.
Please, if you feel compelled, pass on this trailer. We’re currently working diligently to raise the funds needed to produce the film, and can use all the help we can get.
I don’t know if anyone that reads this blog can help, but this is the story of a man that has endured much and simply wants to be the best he can be. A man that, to this day, struggles with depression.
When asked about a legacy, he said this:
“The only legacy I got is one: I’m as real as can be. I wore my heart on my sleeve. I gave my fans honesty from the day I started. I think I was one of the most genuine fighters out there, and if that’s my legacy, that’s cool with me.”
