MMAOddsBreaker’s Frank Trigg speaks with Bellator 162 middleweight Kendall Grove as he prepares for his upcoming main event bout next Friday night (October 21, 2016) against Alexander Shlemenko at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee.
The former Ultimate Fighter winner is actually facing someone with more experience than him for once, but he doesn’t think that will be too much of a disadvantage come fight time:
“From what I’ve heard and seen, [Shlemenko’s] downfall is his ground. He’s a great striker, heavy-handed. He loves spinning back fists and kicks. He pressures backwards, he’s a bully in a good way. He’s not the tallest guy and I’m sure he’s gonna try to pressure me against the cage to look for the knockout but he definitely doesn’t do too well on the ground, getting submitted by Tito, losing his title. He pretty much walks around at his weight so hence, all the testosterone. He felt he needed that edge, getting overpowered by bigger wrestlers so he shot up and he got caught. That didn’t stop him, he fought overseas and I thought he lost the first fight but he won the rematch with that guillotine. I don’t think this will be an easy fight for me. I’m gonna have to come in the best Kendall Grove possible and stick with the gameplan and what’s been working for me my last couple fights and apply what I’ve been training the last two years. Come October 21st, hopefully my hand’s being raised.”