WEC 43 was surely a night to remember as nearly every fight featured non-stop action with exciting back-and-forth momentum swings. Perhaps the fighter with the most to prove was undefeated debutant, Dave Jansen, who was fighting veteran stand-out Rich Crunkilton.

Jansen (13-0), a relative no-namer, was given little chance to defeat the highly regarded Crunkilton (16-3) who's making a comeback after missing over a year with various injuries. But someone forgot to tell Jansen that he wasn't supposed to compete with the American Kickboxing Academy standout with a highly established wrestling game. You're not supposed to defeat veterans of Crunkilton's stature with only three years of MMA training, especially the way Jansen did -- grinding out a three-round unanimous decision.

The Team Quest lightweight is no doubt making tremendous progress with each victory. You hear of the guy who has natural talent in the gym or picks things up quicker than others? Jansen is that guy and FiveKnuckles.com caught up with him just days after his successful WEC debut.

FiveKnuckles.com: Describe the feeling you had leading up to your first big event?

Dave Jansen: It's a hard experience to forget. The moments before my fights have always felt very similar to a lucid dream. This one was no different; all the same emotions are there: hope, determination, and fear. The reality of the fight always becomes easier for me to accept as the fight time draws closer, but adrenaline floods my system during the walkout, so suddenly I feel like a radically different human being. By the time I'm actually in the cage, everything that mattered to my prior self suddenly disappears, except for my sole purpose of beating this other human being standing across from me in a fight.

FiveKnuckles.com: You look like a man possessed in your stare downs. Was he staring back and do the stare downs educate you in any way?

Dave Jansen: Most of the time he was staring right back. I know we're not engaged in a staring contest in the cage, but stare downs help me visualize my game plan right before the opening bell. I don't put too much stock in that, "what happens during a stare down will influence the fight one way or the other."

FiveKnuckles.com: You appeared a little rocked at the end of the first round. How badly were you hurt and how are you feeling today?

Dave Jansen: I never saw stars or heard any buzzing or ringing in my ears from the strikes throughout the fight, but I was a little shook up from the over/under throw where I hit the canvas face first. That was a tough fight for both of us, and after going the distance, I imagine Rich is feeling as sore as I am. I feel like I've fallen down a flight of stairs.

FiveKnuckles.com: What mistakes did you make and what will you take away from your debut?

Dave Jansen: I made plenty of mistakes. I left my head open throughout the fight, at times walking straight into punches with my hands down. I need to move my head off line when I strike, and just initiate more head movement throughout my future fights in general. I also failed to finish the kimura in the third round from side control. As Mir pointed out in the fight commentary, and what my cornerman Robert Follis had shouted at me to do was scoop up the head by stepping over with the near leg....