Plenty in the Tank

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Kendall Grove is a true veteran of the sport of mixed martial arts: He turned professional back in July 2003 and won Season 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series three years later. However, as he prepares to fight for a major MMA championship with 36 pro bouts already behind in his rearview mirror, Grove believes he is far from entering the twilight of his career.

Grove will challenge unbeaten Bellator MMA middleweight champion Brandon Halsey in the Bellator 137 main event on Friday at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, Calif. Five rounds may be all that stand between him and promotional gold.

“I’m definitely happy here in Bellator,” the 32-year-old Grove told Sherdog.com. “I wouldn’t mind being the champion and retiring from here, but that’s far down the road. I still have to beat [Halsey] and get the title to execute my master plan. Stability is good, and being a part of this organization is good. It’s a bit crazy for me coming full circle with Spike [TV] and Viacom. I started my career with them and wouldn’t mind ending with them. As long as I can stay healthy and they want to keep me and I want to fight, I’m glad to be here.”

Grove holds a 2-1 record under the Bellator banner, most recently tapping out onetime light heavyweight champion Christian M’Pumbu in the second round of their bout at Bellator 127 in October. The submission was the 10th of his career and his 15th finish among 21 victories.

“I feel great,” Grove said. “I’ve got just the little bumps and bruises, but that’s the usual case when you’re getting ready for a fight. I’ve been training in Southern California for the last 12 weeks, and I can’t wait. I’m in tip-top condition to go five five-minute rounds easy. This is a big fight for me. It’s for a world title for a prestigious organization. This kind of chance only comes around once or twice in your career, and I’m fortunate to have this chance. I’m ready.”

Because Grove has paid his dues in MMA, he expects relative newcomers to the sport to respect the veterans and appreciate those that paved the way for them. However, he does not feel Halsey has done so and plans to teach the undefeated champion a lesson.

“He is the champion,” said Grove, who is anchored at the Straight Rootless Fight Team in Hawaii. “I respect him in that aspect, but I don’t like him as a person. It’s motivated me for this fight. I was away from my family for the last 12 weeks. Whatever happens, happens, but he’s going to see the best Kendall Grove. He’s arrogant, cocky and has no respect for the sport. He’s 8-0, but against who?

“He needs to pay his dues before he starts talking s--t,” he added. “I understand marketing, but that’s a slap in the face to a true veteran like me, somebody who’s clawed their way up the ladder. I’m not saying be humble, but have some respect. I guess I’m going to beat some respect into him. He’s talking s--t like he’s going to run right through me. He may think he’s a god, but I’m going to make him human.”

Grove thinks he has an edge in the cardio department and hopes to utilize it. Halsey has finished his last two opponents -- Cooper and Alexander Shlemenko -- in 2:44 combined and has only 16 professional rounds under his belt.

“I want to frustrate him by using a lot of movement,” said Grove, a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu who owns victories over Evan Tanner, Ed Herman, Alan Belcher, Jake Rosholt, Joe Riggs and Derek Brunson, among others. “I want to use my takedown defense and keep it on my feet and make it an ugly fight. If I do get taken down, I’ll start using my submissions and ground game that’s gotten me to this point. I’ve had a good camp, and I’ve been working on my defensive jiu-jitsu. I’ve got to drag him into deep water and go from there. He hasn’t had to fight a lot of rounds, so I’m going to get him into some cardio trouble.”

Grove became something of a forgotten vagabond upon exiting the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2011 following consecutive losses to Demian Maia and Tim Boetsch. The 6-foot-6 Hawaiian went 7-4 in 11 fights across eight different organizations before landing in Bellator. Grove has since sandwiched victories over M’Pumbu and Joe Vedepo around a knockout loss to Brett Cooper. He aims to lean on his experience against Halsey.

“I could say a lot, but it’s going to happen in just a few days,” Grove said. “I could be talking s--t, but I respect him. I do know it’s not going to be an easy fight.”