TUF 10 Quarterfinal Breakdown: Roy Nelson vs. Justin Wren

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We’re halfway through Season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter , and starting this week, eight fighters will be narrowed down to four in the quarterfinal round.

The first matchup will be an intriguing battle between former IFL Heavyweight Champion Roy “Big Country” Nelson, and one of this season’s most talented young prospects, Justin “The Viking” Wren.

Let’s take a look at a stylistic breakdown of what could prove to be the best fight of the season.

Striking

As of yet on the show, neither fighter has displayed a strong arsenal of striking skills, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are incompetent when on their feet.

“Big Country” may not appear to be much of a threat standing up, but he has proven to be very capable of knocking people out back in his IFL career. When Nelson was the Heavyweight champion of the now defunct organization, he was coming off of four straight TKO victories that really displayed the power he has in his hands.

Wren defeated Wes Sims in his first fight on the show without even landing a single strike, so therefore it is difficult to determine Wren’s standup abilities from that fight alone. In previous fights though, Wren has used his striking to set up takedowns, and has finished four opponents with ground n’ pound.

Neither are world class strikers, but Nelson should have the slight advantage on the feet. “Big Country” is technical enough to out-strike Wren, and as far as power is concerned, just ask TUF 2 finalist, Brad Imes, about Nelson’s immense KO power.

Roy Nelson has the striking advantage, 10-9

Wrestling

Wren may not be the largest fighter in the house, but “The Viking” would be able to out-wrestle every single fighter from both teams, save for maybe Jon Madsen.

Wren’s freestyle, and Greco-Roman wrestling credentials, are highly impressive. Back in his high school career, Wren was coached by Olympic Gold Medalists Kenny Monday, and Kendall Cross, and was a two-time Prep All-American.

Wren has also worked comprehensively with Cael Sanderson, whom many believe to be the greatest college wrestler of all time. In Greco-Roman style, Wren won the national championship in 2005, earning a spot at the Olympic training center in Michigan to commence his Olympic pursuit.

Nelson on the other-hand, is certainly an excellent grappler in his own right, but he is not an overwhelming wrestler. There is a big difference between taking Kimbo Slice down, and trying to out-wrestle a Greco-Roman champ.

Wren will have a distinct advantage in this department, but depending on how he plans on using it, it could either be a triumphant success, or an absolute disaster.

Justin Wren has the wrestling advantage, 10-8

Jiu-Jitsu

Here is where things get interesting, and where “Big Country” will prove his worth in the Octagon. As stated above, Wren is a much better wrestler, but when it comes to Jiu-Jitsu, Nelson is one of the very best in the world for the Heavyweight division.

Nicknamed the “Jiu-Jitsu Panda” by his Team Rashad allies, Nelson is extremely well known for his superb ground game. In pure grappling competitions, “Big Country” has defeated notables such as former UFC Heavyweight Champ Frank Mir, and Jeff Monson.

Obviously, there is a big difference between pure Jiu-Jitsu competition, and utilizing Jiu-Jitsu in an MMA fight, but Nelson has shown a great amount of talent in both fields. It cannot be stressed enough that grappling is not about submissions, but more about obtaining the dominant position, and this is something Nelson is a master at.

Against Sims, Wren proved very capable of obtaining a dominant position, and finishing a fight with a choke. Say what you want about Sims, but he’s a very experienced fighter that has competed against some of the very best in the game, for Wren to completely run through a fighter of that caliber just further proves how dangerous he truly is.

When this fight hits the floor, you are going to see a very technical battle for positioning, which Nelson will win. Another thing that “Big Country” does very well on the ground is his utilize his “belly” to his advantage, and put his weight on his opponents, so it will be interesting to see how Wren will be able to handle the power of “the belly”.

Roy Nelson has the Jiu-Jitsu advantage, 10-8

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