The then 32-year-old Allen Berube was one of the very first fighters shown on TUF 5, and for good reason. The 2-1 lightweight introduced himself, as well as the restaurant he owned, “Monstah Lobstah,” before unnecessarily informing the world he originated from Maine as if his accent didn’t exist. He was an immediate draw and, luckily for the fans, he would remain a heavy centerpiece of the season premiere as the blue corner in the first fight of the season.
The “Crustacean Sensation,” as he deemed himself, would go on to lose by triangle choke, disappointing accent-enthusiasts everywhere, but he would continue to make his presence felt, whether it was making the most of mini appearances or giving everybody watching exactly what the TUF casts had come so close to time and time again: the first backyard brawl.
After an all-too common argument broke out between Marlon Sims and Noah Thomas about who was tougher, one man saw the opportunity and escalated the situation to the first backyard brawl in TUF history.
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“They didn’t really show Noah as a loudmouth on the show but he was kind of outspoken in the house,” Berube said. “Marlon was coming up with all these stories constantly about these fights, like he’d fight 300 guys. Marlon’s the Rickson of the streets in his eyes. They get to words and I just happened to be between them when they start getting to words. I was like, ‘I’m Lobstah Mazzagatti. You ready?! You ready?! Bring it on!’”
Things got worse before they got better. Thomas, who already wore most of the damage, ended up getting slammed on his head on the concrete and that brought UFC President Dana White into the picture. The next morning, Sims, Thomas and Berube were kicked out of the house for good. Although Berube thinks similar lines have been crossed in recent years, the punishment had to be dealt out.
“They didn’t know how the press or people watching would react,” Berube explained. “We were in the fifth season, so it made sense to me looking back at it. We could have been the end of The Ultimate Fighter if that had turned a different way, so they’re just looking out for their business.”
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The light-hearted Berube holds no bitterness about the removal. Even while noting that the rest of the house egged the fight on as much as he did, there’s no resentment in his voice, as he speaks of the UFC highly.
The upbeat Maine native hasn’t lost a step in the decade plus following TUF 5. Even after watching his restaurant go under with the 2008 crash of the U.S. economy, Berube remained a fighter. Not literally, however. After TUF, Berube all but disappeared from the fight game.
With two kids, the sport he loved and the restaurant he loved were now out of his life and Berube moved from Tampa back to Maine to regroup without a moment to spare but with a smile on his face. Sure enough, Berube made it work.
After finding success in car sales, Berube ran into trouble with the work/life balance. There was never a question of motivation or drive, as Berube has both in abundance, and it was never a question of getting help from his wife, Demi, who did and still does more than her fair share of the parenting load. At a certain point, it was just time for a change.
Berube traded in the dealership for a real estate license and continues to flourish. Demi is still the glue that keeps everything together and Berube now has enough time for the family and the family passion: wrestling.
“I started a youth wrestling team in my town with a few of my friends,” Berube said. “We’ve got 65 kids on the team, before COVID hit, anyway.”
In addition to the wrestling team, Berube has a patented BJJ belt and a BJJ company, Combat Closet, on his plate and has been enjoying the success of the side ventures.
Today there are seven mini-Berubes running around somewhere up in the northeast region. If they’re not in Maine they’re in a neighboring state at a wrestling tournament. The thrill of winning a fight has become replaced by nine-year-old son Callen improving as a wrestler.
“He just got 200 wins under his belt,” Berube said. “We look for the beatings; I look for the places for my son to get his ass kicked. He’s not the best out there but he’s middle of the pack, kind of. It’s a lot of fun. Wrestling, to me, teaches these kids so much. They can learn grit, hard work, how to muscle through things, how to take a beating and come back harder. It teaches so much more than just wrestling.
„Boredom has reached an all new high.“
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Grit, determination, and the intangibles instilled in Berube at an early age carried him to the biggest stage in mixed martial arts, and after it all fell apart it gave him the strength to put things back together again. If the kids can avoid orchestrating backyard brawls, Allen and Demi are excited to see just how far these same intangibles will take them all.
“The UFC did a lot more for me than just put me in the UFC,” Berube said. “Even though the restaurant went sideways, I’ve opened up a lot of doors with people knowing I was in the UFC. I’m 46 now and you start really figuring out that there’s a lot more to life than just the fancy cars and what you have. It’s more family. You figure that out as time goes on. The happiest I’ve ever been now is being with the kids and watching them compete in sports and being around them. That’s everything.”
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