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Nate Marquardt: Seeking Greatness at Welterweight One Fight at a Time

Nate Marquardt is the quintessential veteran—reliable, well-rounded and searching for a late career surge. “The Great” faces off with rising welterweight Rick Story, who replaces Anthony Johnson on three weeks notice—less …

Nate Marquardt is the quintessential veteran—reliable, well-rounded and searching for a late career surge.

“The Great” faces off with rising welterweight Rick Story, who replaces Anthony Johnson on three weeks notice—less than a month removed from a unanimous decision win against Thiago Alves—at UFC on Versus 4 from the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania this Sunday night.

10-4 in his six-year Octagon career, Marquardt is a former middleweight title challenger. The Greg Jackson-trained fighter spent no time in the sauna to make the 185-pound mark in recent outings. Enter his first foray into welterweight at 32-years-old.

“I feel like an animal. I feel like I’m 20-years-old,” he told ESPN’s Inside the Cage Radio. “This is a new thing for me, fighting at 170, so it’s definitely exciting and gonna keep it fresh.”

What animal will Marquardt resemble most in the cage versus Story?

“Mountain lion,” he said, noting the high altitude at Grudge Training Center in Wheatridge, Colorado where he’s been under the watchful eye of coach Trevor Wittman.

Wittman later revealed to Bleacher Report the key for Marquardt against an up-and-comer like Story is veteran instinct: the ability to build on the framework of a basic game plan with improvisational skills. Adaptability in both the physical and mental elements of the sport leads Wittman to believe Marquardt would have excelled as a Roman gladiator. Still, the downfall of a veteran can be over thinking, so Wittman simply wants his fighter to do what his job description demands—fight.

“Some of these younger guys, you need to get them to go out there and fight and get them to make better decisions. Nate’s got so much muscle memory and so much experience, sometimes he can go out there and over think a fight,” said Wittman. “A guy with veteran skills, they can also make decisions on the job and if they do that, they usually do really good.”

Marquardt agrees his 12 years of experience will overwhelm the Washington native. He expects a hard-fought contest though because “Horror” is a straightforward grinder high on a six-fight win streak.

“The thing is he just doesn’t have my experience and he’s never fought a guy like me. I’m gonna take it to him and dominate this fight,” said Marquardt. “For sure, it’s not necessarily that I was holding back, [but] you’ve seen glimpses of what I can do in the past. I expect nothing less in the future.”

Victory versus Story is step one on the road to a title shot at 170-pounds. The division’s current kingpin, Georges St. Pierre, a training partner of Marquardt at Jackson’s MMA in Albuquerque, New Mexico, pushed the divisional drop for the former King of Pancrase. It was a relief for Wittman and his team, who felt Marquardt’s reluctance to cross paths with “Rush” was potentially inhibiting peak performances at a more natural weight class.

Talk of facing a training partner—champion or not—is not on either’s mind at the moment. Just Story. Despite the short notice, Marquardt and Wittman expect a top-10 welterweight ready to fight on the opposite end of the cage when the bell rings.

“That’s actually been one of our down points with our fight career with Nate. Our two last losses were Chael Sonnen and [Yushin] Okami. Both of those fights we faced left-handers who were pressure fighters. To me, on paper, I think this is a tougher fight for us [than Johnson],” concluded Wittman. “It’s one of those things, we like to overcome those situations we’ve had in the past. It makes it a more intriguing fight.”

Danny Acosta is the lead writer at FIGHT! Magazine. Marquardt interview was conducted by Acosta along with Greg DeLong on ESPN’s Inside the Cage 1450a.m. Reno. Follow him on twitter.com/acostaislegend

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Strikeforce World Grand Prix Heavyweight Josh Barnett: Top of the Food Chain

Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett lets it be known fighting is what he lives for, and he expects to showcase he can do it better than Brett Rogers—or any other competitor in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix—Saturday night f…

“The Babyfaced Assassin” has tournament experience dating back to September 1999 when he secured three victories in one night in pioneering Hawaiian promotion SuperBrawl. Seven years later he would lose to Mirko Crocop in PRIDE Fighting Championships’ Open-Weight Grand Prix finals. Barnett, 33, holds signature wins over legends Randy Couture and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in his 14-year career. Still, the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix represents a defining opportunity for the former King of Pancrase.

“I think its one of the biggest tournaments I’ve ever been involved with. The amount of credentials coming into this with all the competitors, it’s my show to win,” the former PRIDE star told Bleacher Report. “I’ve been at the top of the food chain longer than anyone in this tournament and I’m going to prove that.”

A definitive favorite against Rogers, Barnett isn’t looking past “The Grim” because there are no semifinals if the quarterfinals don’t go as planned. Rogers was last seen in Strikeforce suffering back-to-back losses—the first of his career—in main event outings versus Fedor Emelianenko and Alistair Overeem. Barnett understands he’ll be standing across the cage from a hungry fighter who puts food on his table with pure power punches.

“Don’t let him put his game plan on me,” said the Washington native. “Don’t let him lay his big gloves on my head. I’m not gonna let that happen.”

Anchored at Erik Paulson’s CSW in Fullerton, Calif., Barnett has been working with heavyweight sparring partners no smaller than 6’3, 270-pounds to prepare for a potential three-fight run to a Strikeforce tournament win. On the opposite end of the bracket, Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum meet in Saturday’s main event. Overeem has been tabbed as the tournament favorite—a tag that doesn’t ring true to Barnett.

“I am [the favorite],” offered the catch wrestler, “but I don’t really care about that.”

Barnett, who spent the majority of his career in Japan, hopes to add to the accolades he amassed during a 34-fight career (29-5) and give the Land of the Rising Sun a reason to celebrate after the Japanese people endured a destructive earthquake and tsunami on March 11. The American plans to do them proud as their adopted-star representing stateside. He will return to Japan in July for a pro wrestling engagement. With just three fights in the United States–all wins–in the last eight years, Barnett is also eager to make his mark in his homeland beginning with his performance in Dallas.

“Zuffa has a big machine behind them. I hope they put their big machine behind me,” said Barnett of Strikeforce’s parent company, which also owns the Ultimate Fighting Championship. “Get my face, my work and my fights out there so it reaches people living at the farthest reaches of ‘Parts Unknown’ so they can see what I can do.”

The tournament win is about more than notoriety since the winner may emerge as a no. 1 contender to the UFC’s heavyweight crown. Bouts between UFC and Strikeforce champions are in high demand yet the opportunity is not on his mind—just Rogers.

“Until I get to that point, I don’t care,” said Barnett. “I know that stuff matters but until there’s a contract or a real offer, it’s irrelevant.”

Danny Acosta is the lead writer at FIGHT! Magazine. Follow him on twitter.com/acostaislegend

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UFC Lightweight Clay Guida and the 5 Losses That Defined "The Carpenter"

After 13 bouts in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Clay Guida’s nickname “The Carpenter” is more about his ability to outwork opponents in the Octagon than his job title prior to prizefighter. Posting an 8-5 record since arriving in the UFC in October 2006 (28-11 overall), the reputation Guida builds with each performance is one of a can’t-miss fighter addicted to a feverish pace.

The 29-year-old lightweight vies for a title shot this Saturday night in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale at The Pearl at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas. Guida enters the bout a slight underdog looking to give the final WEC lightweight champion, Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, a fight the Chicagoan promises will be one to be remembered.

That statement says everything audiences need to know about this fight: it’s two lightweights finding their prime ready to assert themselves in the most contender-rich division in mixed martial arts.

Here are five losses that defined Clay Guida leading up to his clash with Duke Roufus’ champion protégé.

1. Tyson Griffin (Split Decision) June 16, 2007, The Odyssey, Belfast Northern Ireland, UFC 72

Clay Guida alternated wins in his first two UFC outings before meeting Tyson Griffin, the latest UFC title picture prospect who was on the rebound from an exciting upset loss to a debuting Frankie Edgar.

The hunger for victory the combatants displayed—Guida was coming off a close decision loss to Din Thomas— in front of the lively Irish audience stole the show, perhaps saving the entire card. The Fight of the Night honored contest properly introduced UFC audiences to the Midwesterner with wild hair. Make no mistake: Guida’s reputation as a tireless fighter is rooted in Belfast.

2. Roger Huerta (Rear-Naked Choke) December 8, 2007, Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, The Ultimate Fighter 6 Finale

Clay Guida got back on the winning track after Tyson Griffin immediately, earning a split decision against American Top Team’s Marcus Aurelio and positioning himself across from Roger Huerta, an undefeated rising star in the Octagon.

A bloody, valiant battle pushed both past their limits, entering their Fight of the Year ballot close enough to year’s end that talk of the bout ushered in the New Year. Guida stunned Huerta and unleashed caveman-style ground and pound only to succumb to an emotion-charged rally that scored Huerta a late rear-naked choke.

Two dramatic decision losses six months apart solidified win or lose, fans demand to see what Clay Guida can do in 15 minutes in the Octagon.

3. Kenny Florian (Rear-Naked Choke) December 12, 2009, FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tennessee, United States, UFC 107

Kenny Florian losing his second UFC lightweight title fight overshadowed his reputation as a finisher leading up his bout with Clay Guida. The Bostonian reminded observers that pushing the pace requires control of the fight. He stunned and submitted Guida via rear-naked choke mid-way through round two by comfortably pulling away with precision in all-facets of the fight.

The defeat has only reinforced the reason why Guida set out for Jackson’s MMA in Albuquerque, New Mexico prior to the bout—to elevate his technique and strategy to match his intangibles like determination and heart. Since then, he’s finished three consecutive opponents for the first time in his UFC career, including his most recent victory, a second-round guillotine choke in January against former PRIDE lightweight champion Takanori Gomi.

4. Gilbert Melendez (Split Decision) June 9, 2006, HP Pavilion, San Jose, California, United States, Strikeforce “Revenge”

Before Clay Guida was a UFC fan-favorite, he was the Strikeforce lightweight champion. The Chicagoan surprised San Jose, California’s Josh Thomson in his backyard the HP Pavilion by outwrestling to him a decision to become the inaugural titleholder in any weight class in the organization. He found himself facing off with world-ranked featherweight Gilbert Melendez for his first title defense.

The Cesar Gracie fighter was seeking challenges at lightweight after storming through opponents—finishing eight of nine—in the California and international circuits to earn his “El Nino” moniker.

A backbreaking five rounds later, the boxer-wrestler scrap concluded with the challenger capturing the Strikeforce 155-pound crown. Even though Guida relinquished the belt, the clash suggested this was the first of many memorable performances he would have at the championship level.

5. Diego Sanchez (Split Decision) June 20, 2009, Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale

Clay Guida is wired like a true fighter. When Diego Sanchez came out with high-pressure punches for the first minute of their headlining fight, Guida remain unperturbed by “The Nightmare.” Three minutes into round one, Sanchez landed a left high kick that floored Guida and would have knocked out most cold, but Guida was getting up before he finished hitting the ground.

There is a degree of toughness required to only go forward. It’s illustrated best in his typical bloody fashion against the fiery onslaught of Sanchez that Guida has one gear and it’s stuck on “Fight of the Year.”

Danny Acosta is the lead writer at FIGHT! Magazine. Follow him on twitter.com/acostaislegend

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 130’s 5 Moves Forward: "Rampage," Johnson, Story and Stann Winners

UFC 130 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas shuffled the contender decks this Memorial Day Weekend. Here are five moves that are shaping up and shaking up the UFC’s weight classes. 1) “Rampage” Next for Jon J…

UFC 130 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas shuffled the contender decks this Memorial Day Weekend. Here are five moves that are shaping up and shaking up the UFC’s weight classes.

1) “Rampage” Next for Jon Jones for Real

The UFC knows the value of continuing Jon Jones’ momentum relies heavily on who the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship defends his belt against first. If a fractured hand Jackson nursed while securing a clean, stock win against Matt Hamill Saturday night heals in time for him to fight Jon Jones next, he should be chosen over Lyoto Machida as the no. 1 contender more for his blockbuster appeal than his razor-thin decision against Machida last November at UFC 123.

Plans for the UFC’s first showcase of Jon Jones the champion have changed nearly as much as the title has changed hands since Chuck Liddell’s two-year reign over the division ended in 2007 (six). Rashad Evans’ August meeting scheduled with Phil Davis at UFC 133 hasn’t slowed talk of Evans-Jones although it’s ensured Evans is immediately unavailable. In addition to compelling beef with Jones, Evans holds a win over Jackson, who holds a win over Machida, who holds a win over Evans.

The consistent title changes and tough timing have disguised how healthy it is to have three former champions and a rising star wild card on deck to challenge the throne. The silver lining here is that of the last six 205-pound champions in the UFC, Jones and Jackson stand out currently as the most popular.

The UFC has the opportunity for a rare bout between a history-making 23-year-old champion in Jones and a foil of a veteran champion in Jackson. The window of opportunity for that bout is now because Jackson, 32, eyeing retirement at 35 suggests it will take big money fights to truly garner his big money performances.

2) Demetrious Johnson’s Mighty Case for a Title Shot

“Mighty Mouse” Demetrious Johnson competed with former WEC Bantamweight Champion Miguel Torres for every second of his captivating 15-minute SPIKE TV preliminary scrap with Miguel Torres. A Matt Hume protégé, Johnson has four consecutive victories including back-to-back against former champions in Torres and K-1 HERO’s 2005 Middleweight Grand Prix Champion Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto. The 24-year-old has exceeded expectations in an underdog role for his last three bouts. With 135-pounds hosting it’s first UFC main event at UFC 132 in July between champion Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber, Johnson is the perfect uncelebrated but serious challenger for a champion riding the biggest win of his career and looking to further establish themselves via real opposition.

For Torres, coming off a well-played contest, Yamamoto is a fight that contains intrigue stemming back to their time being internationally acclaimed outside of the UFC.

3) Brian Stann’s Flagship Fight

Brian Stann disposed of Sengoku Middleweight Champion Jorge Santiago in their Fight of the Night honored contest 31 seconds shy of the second round’s end. “All-American” displayed marked improvement in the facet of his game already considered his strength—his striking. His looks standing left Santiago confused and eventually broken, signaling Stann is a fighter capable of outclassing top-10 opponents.

The Marine’s marketability surely will fast track him to a title shot; however, Anderson Silva’s unparalleled reign leaves the former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion with few opponents that can advance Stann’s contender position while he continues evolving as a fighter ready for someone of Silva’s caliber. Stann will be happy to report for regularly duty but he should compete in a title eliminator bout opposite Wanderlei Silva, Mark Munoz or Michael Bisping, whichever fighter emerges from their contender bouts with Chris Leben, Demian Maia and Jason Miller respectively with the most momentum.

For Santiago, he endured the worst outcome possible in his UFC return, but the resilient Brazilian would benefit from mixing it up with another hard luck, solid middleweight in Dan Miller.

4) Getting Rick Story Straight

A sturdy chin and poise to fire punches back in the face of adversity Rick Story demonstrated versus Thiago Alves coupled with a six-fight win streak undoubtedly places the Brave Legion rep in contender talks. The 26-year-old passed a significant wrestling test against Johny Hendricks and now a striking test versus Alves. If he can neutralize the submission grappling of Jake Shields, another former title challenger to Georges St. Pierre’s UFC Welterweight Championship, Story could solidify he’s ready for the no. 1 contender spot.

Story has been bold in calling his shots at welterweight. That attitude is welcome when it’s from confidence in skills instead of confidence in an ability to sell a fight, which is why Rick Story is a “Horror” for other contenders and a dream for fans.

For Alves, the loser of Chris Lytle-Dan Hardy would stand well against his muay Thai.

5) UFC Heavyweights Could Use Strikeforce Bump

Frank Mir pushed around and beat up Roy Nelson to a decision in co-main event action, while Travis Browne scored the Knockout of the Night with a thrilling and unique superman punch KO versus Stefan Struve in round one. The winning heavyweights are at two entirely different junctures in their UFC career yet they have one thing in common: their best fights are in Strikeforce.

Mir likely concludes his trilogy with Brock Lesnar next when Lesnar recovers from diverticulitis. Facing the biggest star in MMA is a lucrative plus; however, defeat could irrevocably damage Mir’s longevity as a contender because key losses are valued more when the division doesn’t have the requisite depth to reestablish former champions with legitimate threats in the upper-echelon of the division like Antonio Silva, Sergei Kharitonov and Josh Barnett.

For Nelson, there’s not many prospects left at heavyweight although a chance to avenge a controversial loss to Andrei Arlovski allows him to have a contest relevant to his career while reinventing it by losing weight.

Browne appears incredibly promising to the heavyweight class thanks to his 6’7 frame and Alliance Training Center’s movement-oriented boxing. Good prospects like Shane Del Rosario and Daniel Cormier are legit counterparts that generate excitement for an up-and-comer like the Hawaiian. Instead, Browne can take a stern challenge from a grizzled guy like Mike Russow to raise his stock.

Danny Acosta is the lead writer at FIGHT! Magazine. Follow him on twitter.com/acostaislegend

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Roy Nelson Wants to Add JCVD to the Country Club with Win Versus Frank Mir

Roy Nelson sees the movie star martial arts trend hitting mixed martial arts in the UFC and he wants in. The UFC heavyweight is known for his long-flowing mullet haircut and “Big Country” belly hanging over his TapouT shorts. It’s giv…

Roy Nelson sees the movie star martial arts trend hitting mixed martial arts in the UFC and he wants in.

The UFC heavyweight is known for his long-flowing mullet haircut and “Big Country” belly hanging over his TapouT shorts. It’s given the former IFL heavyweight champion an aura of every-man heroism when he’s able to knockout Brendan Schuab and Stefan Struve in the Octagon or take the best punches Junior dos Santos can offer looking like an extra from Sylvester Stallone’s Over the Top.

Leading into his UFC 130 main card match with former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir at the MGM Grand Garden Arena this Saturday night, Nelson (15-5) reveals he wants to impress viewers with his martial arts prowess and land a famous coach in the process.

“I’m hoping not this fight, maybe [for] my next fight I’ll have [Jean-Claude] Van Damme work some kicks or something like that,” Nelson told Bleacher Report. “It’s just one of these things that as a fighter, you just go out and learn from every martial art kind of like Bruce Lee did it.”

Nelson admits he’s worked diligently in his home gym to prepare for the two-time champion. He’s also been watching tape: “Just Bloodsport,” said the 34-year-old. “It’s the only one I need because I’ll be Jackson in the next Bloodsport movie.”

He’s not looking past Mir, but the seven-year veteran asserts a career in Hollywood is just another part of being a legend, like former champions Randy Couture or UFC 130’s headliner, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

Still, the prospects of teaming up with Van Damme aren’t as compelling to Nelson as seizing a signature win over Mir.

The Ultimate Fighter Season 10 winner admits the most significant roadblock of his careen has been not winning when he should win. A slight underdog to Mir, Nelson asserts this is a chance to prove he’s been a championship level fighter for years before arriving in the Octagon—a notion undercut by two controversial losses to Andrei Arlovski and Jeff Monson between his IFL and UFC careers.

“If the UFC bought the IFL, it’d be just like the PRIDE champions or something like that. It’d actually mean something just how the Strikeforce belt means something now,” the ADCC veteran said.

“Me being the IFL Champion, I won the Grand Prix so that means I had to beat a couple of people. Then me holding it after that showed where I belonged in the whole scheme of things.”

Nelson gained fan fare for a pair of Knockout of the Night performances before losing a unanimous decision and a shot at the UFC heavyweight belt to Junior dos Santos.

Learning from his mistakes, the Renzo Gracie jiu-jitsu black belt breaks down the bout with Mir, a Robert Drysdale jiu-jitsu black belt, to damage more than the intricacies of mat work.

He has a healthy sense of fear and respect for Mir’s skills yet won’t shy away from trying to take him out of the fight early and often.

“The biggest [lesson] that I remember from the dos Santos fight is you have to punch the guy more than he punches you, so that’s usually how you can dictate the fight,” he said. “If I can punch Frank more than he punches me, I win the fight.”

Nelson downplays his dedication to the sport with self-deprecating humor; however, it’s been a life-long endeavor. He got his black sash in kung fu before his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. Nelson reflects being a martial artist doesn’t make a better fighter—just a better person.

With a believe-to-achieve American attitude, Nelson hopes notching the most significant victory of his career over Mir will add more followers to his legion of martial arts and mullet enthusiasts he’s dubbed “The County Club.”

“There’s a big list of code of ethics and basically a time period where you have to prove yourself then after that, you can be part of the exclusive membership of the Country Club,” said Nelson. “It can be like the Shaolin Temple where you have to wait out in front of the temple for years and years just to get in or they might just go, ‘This guy, we can see his aura and he’s a good person,’ so we just let him in.”

Nelson leaves all potential Country Club members—Van Damme especially—with a reason to tune in for a “Big Country” fight at UFC 130: “Heavyweights always hit harder. You always see a knockout. Plus you got two guys that are larger than life.”

No kidding: Being larger than life is never a problem for Roy Nelson.

Danny Acosta is the lead writer at FIGHT! Magazine. Follow him on twitter.com/acostaislegend

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 130 Fight Card: Kendall Grove Open for Business Versus Tim Boetsch

UFC middleweight Kendall Grove likes to practice what he preaches. He tells his students at Straight Rootless Jiu-Jitsu in Wailuku, Hawaii that every opponent is a Rubik’s cube—a puzzle to be solved. The Ultimate Fighter season three winner…

UFC middleweight Kendall Grove likes to practice what he preaches.

He tells his students at Straight Rootless Jiu-Jitsu in Wailuku, Hawaii that every opponent is a Rubik’s cube—a puzzle to be solved. The Ultimate Fighter season three winner meets Tim Boetsch on a Spike TV broadcast bout this Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada for UFC 130, where he’ll attempt to break down “The Barbarian” problem in front of him.

“That’s the only tape I have on him when he’s a big 205-pounder. Who knows, we’ll find out [Saturday] if he’s big, but that’s who I’m training for is a 205 Tim Boetsch—well, he looks 235,” the Hawaiian told Bleacher Report of his opponent making his debut at 185-pounds. “A strong, brawler wrestler that doesn’t hold anything back. We fight. We put it on the line. Stylistically, I think it’s a good match up.”

Since arriving in the Octagon nearly five years ago, Grove has posted a 7-5 record, alternating wins and losses for his last six bouts, most recently dropping a unanimous decision to former title challenger Demian Maia last December. Grove jokes in mixed martial arts, only UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre sticks to game plans, so once he and Boestch begin trading leather, it’s anybody’s (read: his) fight.

“I’ve been an up and down fighter in the past—win one, lose one, win one, lose one—but it’s a game. They come to fight about as much as we come to fight. The better trained fighter will win that day,” said middleweight’s tallest competitor, standing at 6’6. “That’s why we train harder, smarter and learn from our mistakes and come back even stronger.”

Grove speaks freely about his last two defeats and what he took from them. Against Mark Munoz last April, he tired himself out going for a finish, leaving nothing to defend when “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” returned on the offensive with punches en route to a second round technical knockout. Maia? Too much respect. He won’t respect Boetsch too much or leave any windows of opportunity open for him because he simply can’t afford to do that.

With business partners in his gym leaving him “high and dry” in Hawaii, Grove runs a one-man show. Both his fighting career and gym endeavors cost him cash like they make it for him. He understands each requires full-attention to succeed, but temporary sacrifices like shutting down Straight Rootless for the month leading up to his scrap with Boestch are necessary.

“[My students] know my gym wouldn’t have been there if I wasn’t fighting. They let me worry about myself, train for my fight and then re-open it again,” he explained. “It’s kind of half-assing right now but up until I find a steady instructor besides myself, that’s just the way its gonna have to be.

“Fighting is a full-time job and you need to give it all your attention and all your concentration or you’re gonna have a short career. That’s how I feel.”

The 28-year-old has had a wild yet rewarding six months. His gym changed locations twice. He bought a house. With the birth of his daughter last month, he welcomed his second child—the first with his fiancé Anna—into the world, bringing his family count to five (one boy and three girls). Scheduled to wed July 1, Grove takes pride in fighting for his family and the small island state he represents in the Octagon.

“I have a lot of family support and a lot of them don’t get to come to Vegas and watch,” he said. “It’s just hard, especially here in Hawaii, $60 pay-per-view, so it’s good telling all my family members, ‘Hey, don’t worry, it’ll be free on Spike.’”

Then there are his students. With Straight Rootless closed for his fight, Grove hopes they still get the lesson: solve the puzzle first to get the prize—the finish.

Danny Acosta is the lead writer at FIGHT! Magazine. Follow him on twitter.com/acostaislegend

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com