(Like we needed a reason to run this photo again. Props: MMARecap via MiddleEasy)

There were a lot of questions coming into last night’s XFO 39. Would this mark the last appearance of Jeff “Big Frog” Curran? How would Jamie Varner fair in what is not only his first fight since being released by the UFC, but a welterweight bout nonetheless? Can Felice Herrig vs. Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc possibly live up to the pre-fight staredown? The short answers are maybe, pretty well and of course not. Tune in after the jump for more details.

(Props: MMARecap via MiddleEasy)

XFO 39 goes down tonight at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, featuring Jeff Curran’s “win or retire” match against Billy Vaughn, Jamie Varner‘s first post-WEC match against Tyler Combs, and a women’s bout between the lovely Felice Herrig and 7-4 Tulsa-based scrapper Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc. At yesterday’s weigh-ins, Felice and Nicdali produced one of the greatest staredown photos in recent memory. (Whether you prefer this one or Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort pretty much depends on if you prefer chicks or dudes. Sorry. That’s the deal.) XFO 39 will be streamed live on alienwarearena.com/mma; the card kicks off at 7 p.m.

Despite all the talk of Jens Pulver hanging up his four ounce gloves for good after failing to put up a win in his past six fights, it looks like Lil’ Evil ain’t goin’ out like that.

The former UFC lightweight champ was back in action this weekend, picking up his first win in over three years and improving his record to 23-14-1. Although his opponent, Mike "The Assassin" Lindquist at 6-19 was a far cry from the killers he used to face in the UFC and WEC, it’s good to see Jens get a win under his belt to boost his confidence. In Pulver’s defense, he was originally slated to take on 12-10 fighter Tom Ahrens, but his opponent bowed out of the bout in the weeks leading up to the event. For his part, Lindquist didn’t look too bad in the video above. Let’s just hope that training with Jeff Curran in Chicago has helped Pulver get his groove back and he doesn’t just become a regional can crusher.

(PicProps: MMAConvert)

On a personal note, we’d like nothing more than to see Jens Pulver at the top of the heap when it’s all said and done. Though we admit we’ve never met him, Pulver has always seemed like one of MMA’s truly stand-up guys. Exciting in the cage, straightforward and honest (maybe to a fault) outside of it, it’s hard not to root for him. It’s also been difficult to watch him slump through the last few years of his rapidly fading MMA career, including establishing his current six-fight losing streak and dropping eight of his last nine bouts overall. It’s that innate likability that additionally makes it downright heartbreaking to read Pulver’s latest interview with MMA Fighting.com on Saturday, where the aging former UFC champion indicates he’s just going to press on with his career until he “gets it right.”

"I’m trying to put ‘Lil’ Evil’ to bed, if that makes sense, so I can retire the right way, and so I can be done the right way,” Pulver says. “I can’t go out the way I’ve gone. Not from being a world champion to losing six fights in a row. I want to give it one more shot."