Who is Justin Wren?
“Some people disintegrate under misfortune while others flourish through it.” Likewise, having been bullied at a very young age, Justin Wren has conquered his challenges from the past to become one of the top heavyweights in Bellator MMA.
Before his sabbatical from Bellator, everyone assumed that Justin was the next man in line for the heavyweight crown. But, the Texas native is not only a boxer who beats people inside the cage.
Instead, Wren is also a humanitarian activist who supports tribes in Congo’s forests through the Fight for the Forgotten foundation.
As a result, the 32-year-old is one of the most adored and popular competitors in the MMA scene. But, Justin did not acquire all his love and fame in a single day. Rather, the Texas-born fighter had to battle problems from very early on in his career.
Relationship Details, Justin Wren is Married?
With his lovely wife Emily Wren, Justin is in a happy marriage. The pair wed in 2014 at an intimate ceremony attended by their close friends and relatives.
Wren’s love tale is a little unique, though, because often the male proposes to the female.
In the case of Justin Wren, his wife Emily called him and popped the question, even recording the entire exchange.
The couple has not yet been blessed with a kid as of yet. Nevertheless, Justin’s Instagram images, in which he features his stunning wife on their many vacations, make it clear how much the couple loves each other.
Quick facts about Justin Wren
| Full Name | Justin Christopher Wren |
| Birth Date | 27 April 1987 |
| Birth Place | Dallas, Texas, U.S.A |
| Nick Name | Big Pygmy |
| Religion | Not available |
| Nationality | American |
Justin Wren: Early Life, Age, Wiki, Parents, Ethnicity
The date of Justin Christopher Wren’s birth is uncertain, although it occurred on April 27, 1987, in Dallas, Texas. Since he was a little boy, Justin has only desired to participate in combat sports.
His experiences with bullying by other children are the main cause. As a result, the heavyweight fighter decided at the age of 13 that he wanted to compete in MMA.
However, MMA is not a sport that is available in high schools in the US. A young Wren was forced to start wrestling as a result.
Education, Schooling, University
Nevertheless, the Texas native excelled in wrestling for Bishop Lynch High School, the top high school in the country.
In addition, young Justin was coached by Olympic Gold Medalists Kenny Monday and Kendall Cross, under whose tutelage he won the Prep State Championship twice in 2004 and 2005 and was selected as a Prep All-American twice.
Wren had also won Fargo’s national championship in Greco-Roman wrestling and was a two-time All-American by the time he had graduated college.
Professional Career, (Mixed Martial Arts)
Wren began his professional MMA career with the UFC. The Texas native had ten fights under his belt before making his professional debut, winning nine of them.
As a result, Justin received an invitation to the tenth episode of The Ultimate Fighter, where he would face off against some of the greatest and brightest heavyweight prospects in the entire globe.
The Big Pygmy then competed against Wes Sims in his UFC debut. Sims was submitted in the first round with an arm triangle, giving Justin a comfortable victory.
As a result, Wren was forced to fight Roy Nelson, a future heavyweight star for the UFC, in the tournament’s quarterfinals.
Nelson controversially prevailed in the bout on a majority decision in the second round. However, everyone who watched the fight, including UFC president Dana White, believed that the third and final round should have been added.
The 32-year-old heavyweight then faced John Madsen in his final UFC appearance. But regrettably, Wren was defeated by a split decision.
The Texas native’s time with the UFC also took a turn for the worst when the promotion let him depart as a result of his lackluster performances.
Henderson, Dan Wiki about the author’s wife, career, net worth, and achievements
The two-time All-American Greco-Roman wrestler, however, would be of interest to numerous other organizations, and Justin was aware of this.
And that’s exactly what happened when Wren revealed he had signed a contract with Colorado-based Ring of Fire MMA.
Then, in his debut match with the ROF, Justin won by first-round TKO over Josh Henry. The native Texan seems to have at last discovered his genuine shape.
In a similar vein, Wren triumphed over Josh Robertson in his second match with the squad.
The Big Pygmy was hurt during the bout due to a slam, hence it had consequences. Justin had to undergo a surgical operation to repair the seven damaged discs in his back.
Wren resolved to come back even stronger nonetheless, but little did he realize that his injuries would keep him out of the sport for a protracted five years. The native of Texas then spent the following five years healing and refining his abilities.
The 34-year-old heavyweight began participating in the Fight for the Forgotten charity at this point.
To put it simply, the organization aids Mbuti Pygmy communities that have been neglected but suffer from terrible economic servitude, illnesses, and pessimism.
In reality, because of Justin’s initiative, more than 15,000 slaves have been set free and are now thriving on their own 3,000 acres of property.
They also have access to clean water and run their farms, both of which were not possible before Wren’s assistance.
The Texas native returned to MMA with Bellator MMA after spending five years in rehabilitation and volunteer work.
In July 2015, Wren committed to a five-fight contract with the company. Josh Burns was the opponent for Wren’s Bellator debut.
By prevailing over Burns by unanimous decision, Justin launched his Bellator career in the same way that he concluded his Ring of Fire career.
Many supporters believed Wren was already competent enough to compete for the title even though the heavyweight fighter had only engaged in one match following a five-year break.
The 34-year-old defeated Juan Torres in his second fight by unanimous decision, proving that he did not allow the hoopla to get to him.
In his third match with Bellator, Justin then fought Roman Pizzolato. He won the match in the first round with an arm-triangle choke like he had done the previous two times.
By this point, practically everyone thought the heavyweight fighter would have his richly due title opportunity.
On the other hand, Wren hasn’t competed in MMA since his previous match against Pizzolato on March 3, 2017, for a variety of unnamed reasons.
However, Justin still has two matches left in his five-match Bellator MMA deal. As a result, we have complete faith that Wren will bounce back successfully and, who knows, maybe even reclaim the heavyweight championship.
Net Worth, Salary, Assets
Justin’s net worth as of 2021 is $500,000 and was primarily accumulated from his MMA endeavors.
Even though the amount may seem substantial to average people like us, professional athletes in other combat sports like boxing and wrestling get significantly more money. Wren’s net worth is hence not very high.
Wiki about Stipe Miocic’s career, age, height, wife, and net worth >>
In addition, Justin receives a base pay from Bellator of $20,000 each bout, excluding bonuses. Additionally, the native Texan makes sponsorships available to interested parties at several sponsorship tiers.
For clarification, Wren offers sponsorship packages for Justin’s shorts and items that include logos for $5,000, $10,000, and $15,000. Additionally, sponsors will be highlighted at press events and on social media.
But back in 2015, the Texas native committed to contributing all of his earnings to the nonprofit Fight for the Forgotten.
As a result, there hasn’t been much of an increase in his net worth over time. But given Justin’s talent and charitable deeds, we hope that he increases his income so that more people can benefit from his charitable work.
Rumors and Controversy
Talking about his rumors and controversy, he has not been in any part of rumors as well as controversy to date.
What is the Height of Justin Wren? Weight, Full Body Status
The Texas native is currently 34 years old because he was born in 1987. Although 34 years old may seem a little elderly for an athlete, most MMA fighters reach their prime in their mid-to-late 30s.
As a result, we believe that Justin’s best MMA years are still to come.
Similar to that, Justin has a suitable height for a heavyweight fighter at 6 feet 2 inches.
Due to his comparatively small size, Wren is better able to avoid other fighters’ punches and move fast from side to side.
Justin is the ideal weight for his height at 234 lb (106.3 kg), which is what he weighs. The majority of people are unaware that the heavyweight division has no weight restrictions.
As a result, Justin frequently has to contend with opponents who may be bigger than him. Wren’s impressive record of 13 wins and only two losses, though, suggests that he is not intimidated by his much larger opponents.
Justin Wren last competed in March of 2017; he has been absent from the ring for the past two years. He has since returned and said that his time away from the ring does not signify his retirement.
His frequent excursions to Africa have had a significant negative impact on Wren’s health. Wren has previously battled drugs and depression. In addition to that, he also experienced malaria in November 2013 which progressed into blackwater fever.
Additionally, 65-70 percent of his blood was parasite at that time. In addition, his body temperature changed a lot, occasionally soaring to 104 degrees before dropping to 96 degrees in a minute.
Additionally, he was unable to swallow any food. He also battled dengue illness in the interim.
“I most certainly am not retired. I underwent shoulder surgery, and now I’m kind of psychologically weary from having an endoscopy last week; I must have picked up some sort of parasite or infection on my previous trip. I still have time and I still have huge aspirations in MMA if I get healthy and stay focused.
Social Media Accounts
Followers on Instagram (@thebigpygmy): 158k
33k people follow The Big Pygmy on Twitter.
Justin Wren has 39k followers on Facebook.
Also Read: Sophia Lucia, Vivi-Anne Stein, Ava Michelle Cota