Justin Wren
Encyclopedia
Justin Christopher Wren (born April 27, 1987) is an American
professional
mixed martial arts
(MMA) fighter. He was a cast member of SpikeTV's The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights
.
, where he was coached by Olympic Gold Medalists Kenny Monday and Kendall Cross. During that time, he was a two time Prep State Champion (2004, 2005) and a two time Prep all-American, winning the Prep National Championship his senior year in Lehigh, PA.
While he was indeed a standout collegiate-style wrestler, Wren's greatest success came in the Greco Roman style. He was a two time all-American in that discipline, winning the national championship in Fargo, ND the summer after his senior year in high school ('05). This championship gained him national attention and earned him a scholarship to the U.S. Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan University to train for the Olympics to compete in Greco Roman wrestling.
Wren won his first four fights by knockout before taking his first loss. His opponent was Matt Thompson. Wren then won five more fights and was ten and one before appearing on TUF. Heading into the tenth installment of The Ultimate Fighter
, Wren had trained all over the world but found his permanent home in Denver, CO with TUF 10 coach Trevor Wittman
.
Wren is one of several fighters who is chaplained by The Fight Pastor
.
fighting for Team Rashad. He was picked third for his team and sixth overall. On episode five, Wren fought UFC veteran Wes Sims
, defeating him via first round technical submission from an arm triangle.
Wren then moved on to the quarterfinals and fought Roy Nelson
in a controversial two round majority decision loss that many spectators at ring side, including Dana White
, felt should have gone to a third round.
who he lost to via split decision.
Wren was later released from the UFC.
After injuring his back from a slam in his most recent victory over Josh Robertson, Wren will undergo a corrective procedure to repair six or seven discs in his back. He plans to return "pretty soon".
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|10-2
|
Josh Robertson
|Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
|Fight Force International: Blood & Sand 8
|July 17, 2010
| style="text-align:center;"|2
| style="text-align:center;"|4:55
| Biloxi, Mississippi
, United States
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|9-2
| Reggie Higgins
|Decision (unanimous)
|MMA Xplosion: Fight Night II at the Hard Rock
|
| style="text-align:center;"|3
| style="text-align:center;"|5:00
|Las Vegas, Nevada
, United States
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|8-2
| Josh Henry
|TKO (strikes)
|Ring of Fire 37: Warlords
|
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1:20
|Omaha, Nebraska
, United States
|
|-
|Loss
| style="text-align:center;"|7-2
| Jon Madsen
|Decision (split)
|The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights Finale
|
| style="text-align:center;"|3
| style="text-align:center;"|5:00
|Las Vegas, Nevada
, United States
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|7-1
| Lamar Coleman
|Submission (arm-triangle choke)
|Brutaal: Hilton Coliseum
|
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1:03
|Ames, Iowa
, United States
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|6-1
| Chris Guillen
|TKO (punches)
|Xp3: The Proving Ground
|
| style="text-align:center;"|2
| style="text-align:center;"|1:45
|Houston, Texas
, United States
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|5-1
| Ralph Kelly
|TKO (corner stoppage)
|C3 Fights: Contenders
|
| style="text-align:center;"|2
| style="text-align:center;"|3:00
|Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
, United States
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|4-1
| Tony Guined
|Submission (guillotine choke)
|Ultra Pure Productions: Graveyard Smash
|
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|3:04
|Conroe, Texas
, United States
|
|-
|Loss
| style="text-align:center;"|3-1
| Matt Thompson
|Ref Stoppage (Sick)
|Art of War 2
|
| style="text-align:center;"|2
| style="text-align:center;"|0:27
|Austin, Texas
, United States
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|3-0
| Justin Howard
|TKO (punches)
|Art of War 1
|
| style="text-align:center;"|2
| style="text-align:center;"|1:32
|Dallas, Texas
, United States
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|2-0
| Brian Ewers
|TKO (punches)
|ECF: Winter War
|
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|0:42
|Spirit Lake, Iowa
, United States
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|1-0
| Ronald Stackhouse
|TKO (punches)
|Masters of the Cage 7
|
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1:45
|Norman, Oklahoma
, United States
|
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
(MMA) fighter. He was a cast member of SpikeTV's The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights
The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights
The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights is the tenth installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship -produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. In a press conference following UFC 98, Dana White announced that filming for the season would begin on June 1, 2009...
.
Amateur wrestling career
Wren enjoyed a highly successful and decorated wrestling career before venturing into MMA. He was a standout at Texas wrestling powerhouse Bishop Lynch High SchoolBishop Lynch High School
Bishop Lynch High School is a co-educational Catholic high school founded by the Dominican Order in east Dallas, Texas . It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas. It opened in 1963 with 365 students and now has over 1,000 students. In keeping with its Dominican tradition, the school...
, where he was coached by Olympic Gold Medalists Kenny Monday and Kendall Cross. During that time, he was a two time Prep State Champion (2004, 2005) and a two time Prep all-American, winning the Prep National Championship his senior year in Lehigh, PA.
While he was indeed a standout collegiate-style wrestler, Wren's greatest success came in the Greco Roman style. He was a two time all-American in that discipline, winning the national championship in Fargo, ND the summer after his senior year in high school ('05). This championship gained him national attention and earned him a scholarship to the U.S. Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan University to train for the Olympics to compete in Greco Roman wrestling.
Mixed martial arts
Wanting to try his hand at Division I college wrestling, Wren planned to move to Iowa State University to compete for then coach Cael Sanderson, however, he sustained an injury training before he could join the team. To stay active, Wren entered local fights around Iowa and began his MMA career.Wren won his first four fights by knockout before taking his first loss. His opponent was Matt Thompson. Wren then won five more fights and was ten and one before appearing on TUF. Heading into the tenth installment of The Ultimate Fighter
The Ultimate Fighter
The Ultimate Fighter is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts competition produced by Spike TV and the Ultimate Fighting Championship , and soon to be shown on FX. The show features unknown, professional MMA fighters living together in Las Vegas, Nevada, and follows them as...
, Wren had trained all over the world but found his permanent home in Denver, CO with TUF 10 coach Trevor Wittman
Trevor Wittman
Trevor Wittman is an American boxing and MMA trainer.-Training career:Trevor is the owner of T's KO Fight Club/Gym in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Trevor also just opened up Grudge Training Center in Denver, Colorado. He was one of the Trainers that Rashad Evans brought in for the UFC's show The...
.
Wren is one of several fighters who is chaplained by The Fight Pastor
Fight Pastor
Fight Pastor is a Christian ministry organization led by Pastor Brandon Beals of Canyon Creek Church in Mill Creek, Washington. The ministry is based around the mixed martial arts community, and is focused on a wide range of activities including chaplaincy and MMA news from a Christian perspective...
.
The Ultimate Fighter
Wren was on the tenth season of The Ultimate FighterThe Ultimate Fighter
The Ultimate Fighter is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts competition produced by Spike TV and the Ultimate Fighting Championship , and soon to be shown on FX. The show features unknown, professional MMA fighters living together in Las Vegas, Nevada, and follows them as...
fighting for Team Rashad. He was picked third for his team and sixth overall. On episode five, Wren fought UFC veteran Wes Sims
Wes Sims (fighter)
Wesley Edward Sims is an American mixed martial artist. He is one of the tallest MMA combatants in recent times at 6 ft 8 in and is known for his unorthodox fighting style. He is currently a member of Team Hammer House. Sims began training to compete in MMA after meeting Mark Coleman...
, defeating him via first round technical submission from an arm triangle.
Wren then moved on to the quarterfinals and fought Roy Nelson
Roy Nelson (fighter)
Roy Nelson is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division. He last competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship after winning Season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter. The September 30, 2009 broadcast of his fight against Kimbo Slice, officially an exhibition, was the 2nd...
in a controversial two round majority decision loss that many spectators at ring side, including Dana White
Dana White
Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...
, felt should have gone to a third round.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Wren would go on make his UFC debut at The Ultimate Finale 10, against Ultimate Fighter 10 cast mate, Jon MadsenJon Madsen
Jonathan Michael Madsen is an American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights fighting for Team Rashad.-Mixed martial arts career:...
who he lost to via split decision.
Wren was later released from the UFC.
Post-UFC
On Jan. 23, Wren announced he has signed a deal with an unnamed promotion. Jan. 26, the promotion was named as the Ring of Fire MMA based in Colorado. He fought and defeated Josh Henry in his debut for Ring of Fire by TKO in the first round.After injuring his back from a slam in his most recent victory over Josh Robertson, Wren will undergo a corrective procedure to repair six or seven discs in his back. He plans to return "pretty soon".
Mixed martial arts record
|-|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|10-2
|
Josh Robertson|Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
|Fight Force International: Blood & Sand 8
|July 17, 2010
| style="text-align:center;"|2
| style="text-align:center;"|4:55
| Biloxi, Mississippi
Biloxi, Mississippi
Biloxi is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the population as 44,054. Along with Gulfport, Biloxi is a county seat of Harrison County....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|9-2
|
Reggie Higgins|Decision (unanimous)
|MMA Xplosion: Fight Night II at the Hard Rock
|
| style="text-align:center;"|3
| style="text-align:center;"|5:00
|Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|8-2
|
Josh Henry|TKO (strikes)
|Ring of Fire 37: Warlords
|
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1:20
|Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
|Loss
| style="text-align:center;"|7-2
|
Jon MadsenJon Madsen
Jonathan Michael Madsen is an American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights fighting for Team Rashad.-Mixed martial arts career:...
|Decision (split)
|The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights Finale
The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights Finale
The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights Finale, also referred to as The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale, was a mixed martial arts event that was held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 5, 2009...
|
| style="text-align:center;"|3
| style="text-align:center;"|5:00
|Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|7-1
|
Lamar Coleman|Submission (arm-triangle choke)
|Brutaal: Hilton Coliseum
|
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1:03
|Ames, Iowa
Ames, Iowa
Ames is a city located in the central part of the U.S. state of Iowa in Story County, and approximately north of Des Moines. The U.S. Census Bureau designates that Ames, Iowa metropolitan statistical area as encompassing all of Story County, and which, when combined with the Boone, Iowa...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|6-1
|
Chris Guillen|TKO (punches)
|Xp3: The Proving Ground
|
| style="text-align:center;"|2
| style="text-align:center;"|1:45
|Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|5-1
|
Ralph Kelly|TKO (corner stoppage)
|C3 Fights: Contenders
|
| style="text-align:center;"|2
| style="text-align:center;"|3:00
|Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|4-1
|
Tony Guined|Submission (guillotine choke)
|Ultra Pure Productions: Graveyard Smash
|
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|3:04
|Conroe, Texas
Conroe, Texas
Conroe is a suburban city 40 miles north of Houston in the gulf coastal plains/piney woods region of southeast Texas.It is the seat of Montgomery County and falls within the metropolitan area.As of the 2000 U.S...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
|Loss
| style="text-align:center;"|3-1
|
Matt Thompson|Ref Stoppage (Sick)
|Art of War 2
|
| style="text-align:center;"|2
| style="text-align:center;"|0:27
|Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|3-0
|
Justin Howard|TKO (punches)
|Art of War 1
|
| style="text-align:center;"|2
| style="text-align:center;"|1:32
|Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|2-0
|
Brian Ewers|TKO (punches)
|ECF: Winter War
|
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|0:42
|Spirit Lake, Iowa
Spirit Lake, Iowa
Spirit Lake is a city in Dickinson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,261 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Dickinson County.The town is located along the western shore of East Okoboji Lake, in the Iowa Great Lakes region....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|1-0
|
Ronald Stackhouse|TKO (punches)
|Masters of the Cage 7
|
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1:45
|Norman, Oklahoma
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|