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was lucky enough to be under a really good coach. He got me to transfer after I won the state championships to a place that had two Olympic gold medalists as wrestling coaches. I ended up getting hurt and had to get Tommy John's surgery on my elbow and decided to pursue fighting. I moved to Ames, Iowa, and was on the wrestling team as a medical red shirt. I would sneak off and take a fight just like I would sneak watching those tapes (laughs). Iowa is a small state and it got back around to my coaches that I was sneaking off taking fights. After seven fights, I decided to leave school. I couldn't do both and fighting is my passion so I decided to do that. FiveKnuckles.com: Explain how you ended up on the 10th season of The Ultimate Fighter.
Justin Wren: I got recruited because I was going through a dry spell where I had nine or 10 months off between fights. All my fights kept falling through, and I was actually supposed to fight Zak Jensen who also got in the house, and he backed out the day of weigh-ins. They found a replacement for me and I took that fight. I didn't have to go to TUF tryouts though. I was going to take another fight and all of a sudden got a call from the producers wanting to bring me out and interview me. I couldn't go to Las Vegas because I had weigh-ins the next day and was scheduled as the main event for my next fight. I go to weigh-ins and the guy they've got me fighting doesn't show up at all. My agent called the producers back and I was on a plane an hour and a half later. They liked me and that's how I got on the show.
FiveKnuckles.com: What was it like having Kimbo Slice in the house with you?
Justin Wren: I think Kimbo gets a bad rap by a lot of people, including me. Man, I wanted to fight him bad. He's a good guy and in the house he was friends with everybody. He was even friends with the guys he fought and cooked us dinner. He's actually a really good cook. There were some crazy moments, but he is a good guy and I think that comes across on TV.
FiveKnuckles.com: What was it like meeting Dana White for the first time and what do you think of him now after being on the show?
Justin Wren: Beforehand, I was really cautious about him. I mean there are so many people that give him a bad rap. Yeah I know, people say how he treats fighters bad, but honestly, from what I could tell, he is a good guy and really passionate. I think you just don't want to be on his bad side (laughs). He's done so much for the sport and he interacted with us several times. It was all positive. He is such a huge fan. Whenever he was watching the fights, he would look over and in between rounds and say, "That's a fight. That's how you do it! Take notes guys, that's how you do it!" He really impressed me.
FiveKnuckles.com: In past seasons several fighters couldn't handle being in the house with all the pressures and lack of privacy. What was it like being video taped 24/7?
Justin Wren: Interacting with the cameras was nuts because they were everywhere. I mean, they are even...
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