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“That’s why I got in the sport of mixed martial arts to begin with,” Greene said. “I didn’t like to depend on other teammates when I win or lose. I like to hop in there one-on-one and control what’s going on. All the pressure’s on me and he (Batista) doesn’t even know it, because my family’s at stake. If I can fight full-time, I can be home with my kids and not miss those precious moments a lot of people miss because they have to go to that 9 to 5.”

It’s the dream scenario for the Minnesotan, who made an impression on TUF for both good and bad reasons. The good was his obvious talent and his work ethic. The bad was the drinking that made him the focal point of the extracurricular activities in the house. It’s not something he brags about, but it’s not anything he can erase now either.

“When (UFC President) Dana White said this was gonna be the toughest thing you ever go through, I kinda laughed it off and I thought it was gonna be very easy,” Greene said. “We can have anything we want, we live in a mansion, but I have two kids and a family and I realized I can’t speak to my children, I can’t say good night to them, and I’m there every day. And then you add the pressure of training twice a day and that was some damn hard training. Even our light sessions were hard sessions, so your body’s beat down and broken. 

“I didn’t have to cut weight, but unfortunately, I’m a cigarette smoker, and you have no nicotine and you’ve got these guys getting on your nerves,” he continues. “So the only thing we had was a fully stocked bar. I went overboard a couple times and I guess that turned out to be my outlet. It’s like a pressure cooker.” 

One chat with Greene and you can tell immediately that alcohol isn’t a daily issue for him. In the TUF house it may have been, but it looks like it was the result of boredom more than anything else. Of course, the public will see what it sees, and only time will tell if he becomes a legit UFC contender or just another one of those infamous reality show characters. As far as Greene is concerned, he wants his fighting to do the talking now, but if you’re in the door because of his antics on TUF, he’s fine with that.

RELATED: Maurice’s TUF Blog | Putting Friendship Aside

“You’re under a microscope (on TUF) and the one thing I did tell myself was that I wasn’t gonna go on there and be super reserved, because at the end of the season I wanted to be remembered,” he said. “I didn’t want to be remembered quite how I am, but it is what it is. When you look back on season 28, there’s a couple people you’ll remember. You’ll remember ‘The Crochet Boss’ and you’ll probably remember Justin (Frazier).”

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