Customer Reviews

Little Evil: One Ultimate Fighter's Rise to the Top

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's been said that most great champions have had to overcome great adversity. This is the story of the adversity that Jens Pulver had to overcome.

Jens, assisted by Eric Knauss, tells the story of a childhood raised by a loving mother and an alcoholic abusive father. The sport of wrestling allows him to focus his anger, but he drinks away an athletic scholarship in idyllic Idaho. Every time he almost gets out of the morass, his past comes crashing back.

The story ends with his Ultimate Fighting Champion title defense against BJ Penn, a prodigy who was a big favorite coming in to the fight.

The book contained much more emotional depth than expected. Readers expecting a detailed history of Pulver's fights will be disappointed, however. This is more about his personal struggles outside the ring than his battles inside the ring. The other potential shortfall is that the story is still unfinished. Since the book Jens has had a fall, and is the midst of a comeback. It would be interesting to read his take on that as well.

Just got done reading Jens Pulvers book. It took me only a couple of hours to finish it. That's how good it was.

What a compelling and excellent read for any sports fan. Talk about highs and lows that Jens went through. I was captivated when I started reading it and felt consumed to read on.

After reading it, I feel alot closer to Jens even though I've never met the man before. I feel for him and want to encourage and support him. That is how this book makes me feel. It makes me look at the things around me and not take them for granted because there are so many that are alot worse off than I.

This book is inspiring and motivating. I want to thank Jens and Erich for taking the time to write this book, it is truly a great piece, one that I will always keep. Much respect goes out to Jens for having the courage to step out in the spot light and share his "personal" story to the world.

Go ahead and get a book of your own: "Little Evil; One Ultimate Fighter's Rise to the Top" by Jens Pulver & Erich Krauss

This is a great book from start to finish. Once you read the first chapter it is very hard to stop. I had to pry it out of my hands to study for finals otherwise I would have read the whole thing the first day I got it.

I recommend that everyone read this book it is interesting from start to finish and doesn't hold anything back. He really went through some rough times before becoming the champion fans of mixed martial arts know today.

Good, quick read!

This was the original MMA fighter autobiography. Jens's was the 1st MMA fighter to tell his story. When "Little Evil" was written, was shortly after Jens Pulver defended his championship belt against then up and coming fighter(& future champion) B.J. Penn!

Jens went through hell as a kid. He had every reason to become just another punk kid, with no direction in life dealing drugs and drinking. But lucky for him, he found wrestling and had alot of great coaches & mentors direct him to a life worth living for.

Since this book was written however Jens Pulver lost his belt, as do all champions eventually. He will always be one of the original UFC fighters and always a legend. Jens is now training again and fighting in the WEC, he already lost one title shot against Urijah Faber, but the rematch is coming soon!

As an avid fan of MMA, I think Jens still has alot of fight in him and he will be around for awhile and his legendary left hand is as strong as ever!

Good short book for any MMA fans!

Very good read, it's a bit on the short side but very good. It's really great to get a chance to see inside the mind of someone who overcame what he did. It will change you view of "Lil Evil" and make you an instant fan.

I have always liked Jens Pulver as a fighter, but now after reading about all he had to go through has made me an even bigger fan. This is a must read for and Mixed Martial Arts fan! It goes completely through his life from his childhood, to college, to his jump into profesional fighting. The details seem to not leave anything out leaving you with a feeling that you know much more about him after reading. Be warned once you start reading it you won't be able to put it down. I read the book straight through and recommend it to anyone. It is definalty a must read!

I had high hopes going into this book, the same affliction that ruins a lot of good stuff for me. The bad was set incredibly high but in no way did this book let me down. I couldn't let IT down either, I was glued to the pages in every spare moment for three days reading this great tale of one man's story to fight his demons and conquer the world.

I recommend this book not only to MMA fans but to anybody with a heart. An awe-inspiring journey that pulls at your heart strings every step of the way until you find yourself cheering Jens along.

Wonderful book, worth more than it costs.

I've read Chuck, Matt and Tito's books, Randy, Ken and B.J.'s autobiographies in the beginning of their books, and this is the best (with Tito's a close second). Although I'm a big MMA fan, I was never a huge fan of Jens until this book. Jens could have turned out to be a janitor and this would still be an incredible story. I was surprised not only by his story, but his admirable honesty and humbleness with which this was written. Two thumbs up!

Jens "Lil Evil" Pulver, is commonly known as the former UFC lightweight champion, the man who paved the way for the lighter weight classes which have dazzled millions of MMA fans around the world. Pulver, however, has been fighting far longer than the pay per view has shown. Jens was practically born into combat, through every day struggles with an abusive father, and trouble which always seemed to find him, no matter how hard he would strive to avoid it. This book describes the birthplace of "Little Evil," which lives deep down inside of Jens Pulver's being. From terrifying and moving stories of his abusive father's antics, to the discovery of his passion through high school wrestling and boxing, this book tells it all, leaving no rock unturned.

I found Little Evil: One Ultimate Fighter's Rise to the Top extremely inspiring. It doesn't take long to become engrossed in Pulver's life, and before you know it you've read thirty, forty, fifty pages in one sitting. I felt that if Jens was able to overcome such towering obstacles, then any man could achieve in the face of the simple adversity life throws at us from time to time. Through his stories of trouble and triumph, Jens encourages his readers to achieve their dreams, no matter how daunting of a task it may seem to be.

I strongly recommend this book for everyone looking for some inspiration, and a great story. The audience is not limited to mixed martial arts fans, Jens Pulver followers, or anyone of any particular gender, race, or ethnic background. Everyone can benefit from the moving story that Pulver and Krauss describe in the above title.

I found myself rooting for Jens Pulver the entire time (even though I knew how it would turn out). Although he downplayed his accomplishments it is easy to see when reading this book how champions are made. I never knew that he had such a hard childhood. He has alluded to his background in his statements after fights and in shows like "UFC countdown" but this book reveals how he fought his way from having absolutely nothing to something that very few people achieve.

It's a page turner and unlike some biographies you will want to finish this one when you begin.

Posted by Bakari Akil II, Ph.D., author of The Lazy Man's Guide to Grappling
Grappling for Newbies: What every new BJJ and Submission Grappler should know!