 He would go on to play for Iowa State for the next four years, After college, Eilers took time off to fully heal a shoulder injury.It was during this time that he had another chance meeting with Jens Pulver, who was now a popular fighter in the UFC.Pulver urged Eilers to try fighting again, and after a few months of training, he made his MMA debut in 2002 facing UFC Hall of Famer Dan Severn at "Victory Fighting Championships 3" (a local Iowa MMA organization).