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Fighting is about more than wins and losses as far as Hugh Pulley is concerned. “The Wolverine” is driven to represent his the place he calls home.

The St. Louis native has been battling toward the biggest stages in MMA, and believes his journey has been particularly challenging due to his region. The largest promotions in combat sports tend to pass on the Midwest in favor of more populated markets, which doesn’t sit well with Pulley.

That's why he's striving to prove there's talent worth watching east of the Mississippi River.

“My city gets overlooked all the time,” Pulley said. “I mean Bellator just now showed up, and that’s like a kick in the teeth to all the people that are around this area. There have been UFC fighters coming out of here and there’s plenty more that deserve to be there as well, but they are still here grinding.

“We have to grind harder here because we don’t get the media attention of fighters in Florida, California or even Kansas City. That only makes us more motivated though. We come from the grimey part of Missouri and we embrace it. I’m passionate about my city because it’s the most horrible, grimey and beautiful place you could ever be from because it keeps you humble. That’s what keeps you honest.”

Pulley plans to make another definitive statement when he faces undefeated prospect Grant Dawson at KCFA 18 on Saturday night in Kansas City. Pulley knows he’ll be going into hostile territory to face the Glory MMA representative, and the chance to knock off one of most touted up-and-coming talents adds motivation.

“This fight is the equivalent of McGregor vs. Aldo in our area,” Pulley said. “There is a lot of excitement and buzz surrounding this fight and it’s going to be fireworks. I guarantee it.”

While Dawson has been drawing attention from prominent promotions for the past year, Pulley refuses to be pushed aside in that particular conversation. His most recent victory came inside the Bellator cage, and that experience made Pulley hungry for more.

“I need to move forward in my career. I can’t rest on winning a fight in Bellator... I need to keep it moving. Every next fight is a stepping stone and it doesn’t matter where it falls on the card. I’ve felt that way since I took my last loss and I haven’t looked back since.”

With the charisma to match his aggressive fighting style, Pulley believes a victory on Saturday night could be the perfect showcase to push him to the next level.

“The fight is the easiest part for me,” Pulley said. “I do all the interviews and media that comes with them, but that’s nothing to me. When fighters say this game is all mental there is a bit of truth to that, but I feel they are using that as a crutch. Fighters complain about doing interviews but I work at night and still train three times a day. There’s no excuse to not perform.”