Tag: Kendall Grove

UFC 130 Aftermath: Worst Audition Ever


(Photo courtesy of UFC.com. Rampage’s victory reaction gif is now after the jump.)

When the anticipated rematch between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard was scrapped from this card, we were left with a few big names and a lot of hope. Despite a few stellar knockouts earlier in the evening, UFC 130 ended much like my date to see “No Strings Attached”: a lot of booing, a disappointing 15 minute fight, and I was out $50.

Every UFC card has to be about something, and with no gold up for grabs the storyline for this event became Quinton Jackson’s climb back up to the top of the Light Heavyweight division. Dana White declared and Rogan and Goldberg echoed that an impressive, entertaining victory over Matt Hamill would land Rampage a title fight with champ Jon Jones. Rampage secured the win, but his shot at the belt is still up in the air.


(Photo courtesy of UFC.com. Rampage’s victory reaction gif is now after the jump.)

When the anticipated rematch between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard was scrapped from this card, we were left with a few big names and a lot of hope. Despite a few stellar knockouts earlier in the evening, UFC 130 ended much like my date to see “No Strings Attached”: a lot of booing, a disappointing 15 minute fight, and I was out $50.

Every UFC card has to be about something, and with no gold up for grabs the storyline for this event became Quinton Jackson’s climb back up to the top of the Light Heavyweight division. Dana White declared and Rogan and Goldberg echoed that an impressive, entertaining victory over Matt Hamill would land Rampage a title fight with champ Jon Jones. Rampage secured the win, but his shot at the belt is still up in the air.


(“Hold up…you mean ya’ll were watching that shit???”)

Coming off of a semi-contested and equally boring win over Lyoto Machida, Rampage’s performance last night was meant to be more than a notch in the win column. If all went according to plan, it would have provided the UFC with the type of highlight-reel footage Jackson hasn’t produced since his knock out victory over Wanderlei Silva in 2008 and had fans clamoring for a fight against Jon “Bones” Jones. But last night’s fight yielded few fireworks if any. Hamill’s mantra in the lead-up to the bout was that he would break Jackson’s will, but only a few minutes into the bout it was “The Hammer” who looked like he’d rather be anywhere than in that cage. Going 0-17 in his plodding, telegraphed takedown attempts, Hamill was unable to get the fight to the ground and understandably reluctant to stand and trade with Rampage. As for Jackson, he did deviate slightly from his hands-heavy style–incorporating knees, elbows, and even a few token kicks into his attack–but he didn’t initiate or go in for the kill against a clearly gun-shy Hamill. After the fight, Jackson put some of the blame on a fractured hand he injured back in December of last year. [Note to Quinton: we believe you and all, but you’re not supposed to talk about that kind of stuff, bruh.] . Despite the lackluster performance, Dana White has stated that pending the positive outcome of tests on Rampage’s hand, he will likely be the first challenger to Jones’s belt.

If there were any questions about Frank Mir’s place in the heavyweight division following his first-round loss to Shane Carwin and coma-inducing win over faded star Mirko Cro Cop, they remain completely unanswered. His one-sided victory over the obese Roy Nelson says less about his dedication to training than it does “Big Country’s” lack of it. The time has come to call the “Big Country” experiment a flop. The myth of his terrific cardio has been dispelled in consecutive losses to Dos Santos and Mir, where he served as a very exhausted, very durable durable punching bag for the full three rounds. The dude has a terrific chin—did he even blink when he ate those crushing elbows late in round three?–but the notion that he can walk into the Octagon with Cheeto fingers and compete with the top of the division is absurd. Fatigue reduced his vaunted ground game to rolling to his ample belly and working his way to his feet; it’s an impressive trick even without Frank Mir on top of him, but it’s not enough to compete at this level. Mir looked good taking Nelson down at will and landing some heavy shots, but it’s fair to say that “Big Country” was looking for the path of least resistance throughout the fight, even if it meant getting smashed in the face or tossed to the mat. Despite his lethargic performance, Nelson does possess power in his hands- Mir left the Octagon with a broken jaw and rib to accompany his win bonus.

As for the rest of the card, they did their part to entertain and it’s a shame that their work was soured by the last thirty minutes of cage-time. Brian Stann opened the night with big knockout over the returning Jorge Santiago in the “Fight of the Night”. UFC heavyweight Travis Browne secured his spot on a future ‘Ultimate Knockouts’ dvd by felling mighty oak Stefan Struve in spectacular fashion. Demetrius “Mighty Mouse” Johnson won a tough-to-call decision over Miguel Torres in a hyper-active fight contested largely on the ground. Top Welterweight Thiago Alves was given no room to work against Rick Story. Story kept constant pressure on Thiago, pressing him to the cage and working for takedowns. His decision victory marks his sixth straight win in the UFC. Tim Boetsch looked dominant in his first fight at Middleweight, rag-dolling Kendall Grove in a one-sided decision. This was Da Spyder’s second consecutive loss and his third in four outings. Late replacement Rafaello Oliveira was overpowered by Lightweight juggernaut Gleison Tibau. Tibau’s second round ground and pound forced Oliveira to surrender his back and tap out to a rear naked choke in the evening’s only submission.

Full results of the night (via: MMAWeekly.com)

UFC 130 Main Bouts (On Pay-Per-View):

-Quinton “Rampage” Jackson defeats Matt Hamill via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

-Frank Mir defeats Roy Nelson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)

-Travis Browne defeats Stefan Struve via KO at 4:11 of the first round.

-Rick Story defeats Thiago Alves via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

-Brian Stann defeats Jorge Santiago via TKO at 4:29 or round two.

UFC 130 Preliminary Bouts (On Spike TV):

-Demetrious Johnson defeats Miguel Torres via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

-Tim Boetsch defeats Kendall Grove via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

UFC 130 Preliminary Bouts (On Facebook):

-Gleison Tibau defeats Rafaello via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:28 of round two

-Michael McDonald defeats Chris Cariaso via split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)

-Renan Barao defeats Cole Escovedo by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Tim Boetsch Feels Like His Career Is Starting Anew at Middleweight

LAS VEGAS — MMA Fighting spoke to Tim Boetsch after his dominant win over Kendall Grove at UFC 130, how he felt cutting down to 185 for the first time, his take on the fight and what’s next for him.

Check out the exclusive interview after the jump.

 

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LAS VEGAS — MMA Fighting spoke to Tim Boetsch after his dominant win over Kendall Grove at UFC 130, how he felt cutting down to 185 for the first time, his take on the fight and what’s next for him.

Check out the exclusive interview after the jump.

 

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UFC 130 Results: Tim Boetsch Dominates Kendall Grove

Filed under: UFCThe former Ultimate Fighter winner Kendall Grove may be on the way out of the UFC after being completely dismantled by Tim Boetsch Saturday night at UFC 130.

Boetsch, who moved down from 205 pounds to 185 pounds for this fight, showed …

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The former Ultimate Fighter winner Kendall Grove may be on the way out of the UFC after being completely dismantled by Tim Boetsch Saturday night at UFC 130.

Boetsch, who moved down from 205 pounds to 185 pounds for this fight, showed for all 15 minutes that he has great strength at middleweight, easily overpowering Grove on the way to a unanimous decision victory, scored 30-27 on all three judges’ cards. Boetsch grabbed Grove and threw him to the ground within the first 30 seconds of the first round, and that’s basically what he did for the entire fight.

“I’m certainly glad I did (drop to middleweight),” Boetsch said. “I felt great in there, I felt very strong.”

Grove has now lost two fights in a row and three of his last four, and it’s easy to see the UFC cutting him after Saturday night’s performance. Grove, whose career record now stands at 12-9, hasn’t had an impressive showing in a long time, and he doesn’t look like he’s getting any better.

Boetsch, who improved to 13-4, looked very good. He might not be a complete enough fighter to compete at the highest levels of the middleweight division, but 185 pounds is clearly the right weight class for him, and he should have some big fights coming up. He looked great on Saturday night.

 

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UFC 130 the Chopping Block: Tim Boetsch vs. Kendall Grove

A key talking point for most fans leading up to major events is which fighters are skating on thin ice, looking to sling leather and literally give it their complete all to avoid getting demoted off the big stage. Pride used to punish inactivity and st…

A key talking point for most fans leading up to major events is which fighters are skating on thin ice, looking to sling leather and literally give it their complete all to avoid getting demoted off the big stage. Pride used to punish inactivity and stalling with yellow to red cards, UFC trims the fat by bestowing pink slips to guys lugging around losing streaks and poor performances.

This added pressure of job security has the tendency to transform a mid-range competitor—usually the reason he or she finds themselves in that situation to begin with—into a savage beast (anything but a 52-year-old Dan Severn) looking to not only win, but to sear a lasting impression of brilliance in the minds of the UFC brass.

In many cases, it’s this heightened sense of insecurity that creates the barn-burners of the card.

As a diehard fan and wordsmith of the sport, keeping a keen eye out for these overlooked battles is very intriguing. This is why I’m resurrecting my Chopping Block series from the cold grave it has occupied since the last time my keystrokes breathed life into it over a year ago.

Leading up to major events—typically UFC’s, since it remains the only top promotion with an abundance of talent in each division they’re willing to part ways with—The Chopping Block will grace Bleacher Report MMA’s front page, presenting the possibility of which fighter(s) already walking the plank will face the French guillotine with a loss.

Furthermore, I’ll do my damndest to analyze all the varying factors contributing to the impending doom of our fallen gladiators and rate whether or not their respective fight should get the Blazing Barn-burner stamp of approval—my elbow nudge, wink wink, and nod to the fans to make sure they don’t miss that particular fight.

For our comeback edition, let’s turn our attention to UFC 130, a card mangled from its inception with injuries and last minute replacements. The highly anticipated third meeting in a storied trilogy between lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and perennial contender Gray Maynard was completely scrapped from the date once it was announced Edgar suffered a serious back injury. Shortly afterward, Maynard also surfaced with his own knee injury, preventing him from competing against a stand-in.

In addition, Rampage Jackson was originally slated to slug it out with Thiago Silva, but was later tossed out of the equation after the Brazilian tested positive for PEDs. This is just the tip of the injury iceberg; many more fights were altered by way of replacement opponent.

Per the usual, come Saturday night in Las Vegas, all the top-shelf talent on the main card is safe from the chopping block. Rarely do you see a straggler fending for his life in a primo spot since the UFC reserves many of those slots for their bigger fishies—for good reason, they have many snapping piranha with selling power in their ranks to spare these days.

Simply put, we won’t be witnessing a shocking Donald Trump moment from the main card come this Sunday…unless Matt Hamill puts a clinic on “Quinton” and forces him into a reclusive life of junk food binges and the occasional b-rated action movie role as the street mean henchman, who he was apparently born to play.

We have to dig deeper into the prelims to find our man. In the case of UFC 130, he is paired up on the chopping block with his opponent, to make this fight a double whammy—a pink, pink situation. I’m referring to the opening Spike bout between Tim Boetsch and Kendall Grove.

Tim Boetsch experienced a rocky inaugural run in the UFC back in 2008, garnering a .500 record that sent him packing, after his fourth fight in the octagon, to the underworld promotions where he strung together a three fight winning streak. After returning to the UFC after three straight wins, he decisioned Todd Brown and lost due to a “wonderful” kimura submission by Phil Davis.

Neither fight seemed promising enough to ensure a real second chance to instill new life into his newly found, but waning, UFC career.

Kendall Grove on the other hand, has only won four of his last nine matches, spanning the last four years. Despite the soft spot in Dana White’s heart for this Hawaiian-American fighter, and to his credit, Grove has fought stiff competition consistently enough to get the benefit of the doubt.

Competition and likeability aside, dropping his prelim bout to Boetsch would make it difficult for matchmaker Joe Silva to continue pulling Grove’s name out of his wizardly hat.

To say the least, neither of these fighters’ John Handcocks are etched onto roster lineup in ink.

 

Blazing Barn-Burner Stamp of Approval: Not only will each man’s dire spot on the peaking order fuel wonders in this fight, but they also match up well stylistically and they are close enough talent-wise to make this one a close call.

Neither man possesses a granite chin, but neither really excels in one discipline to put the other in constant danger. With that said, this will be a battle of wills and emerging skills. Who can be the smarter, more in shape and mentally prepared fighter? I have a feeling Boetsch vs. Grove will offer up plenty of variety, a chance to showcase both their closely matched striking and ground games.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Kendall Grove Needs More Beer and Spam (VIDEO)

In good spirits before his upcoming UFC 130 fight, Kendall Grove fills us in on how big the dudes in the 185 division looked at the Fight Summit and wonders what he’s doing wrong. Grove.

In good spirits before his upcoming UFC 130 fight, Kendall Grove fills us in on how big the dudes in the 185 division looked at the Fight Summit and wonders what he’s doing wrong. Grove breaks down the Middleweights in the UFC, reminding us that there are some pretty great guys in the division which many currently see as one of the least attractive divisions in the UFC. He also hopes one day, to face the ultimate Middleweight fighter, Anderson Silva and get his nose broken by him, but is happy to be fighting Tim Boetsch. Grove says he plans to show his boxing is legit with this match.

Grove also talks about Chael Sonnen‘s suspension, though he didn’t really know about it, but our host, Steve Cofield filled him in. It’s always surprising how little these fighters know about each other. Watch the full video below.

Watch Kendall Grove Talks Chael Sonnen, Middleweight Division and Tim Boetsch on RawVegas.tv

The Cut List: Who Desperately Needs a Win at UFC 130?

Filed under: UFCUFC 130 kicks off a busy summer in the world of MMA, but with so many fighters now under the Zuffa umbrella it’s no time to get complacent. Just about every undercard has its share of fighters who need a win just to stay viable in the b…

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UFC 130 kicks off a busy summer in the world of MMA, but with so many fighters now under the Zuffa umbrella it’s no time to get complacent. Just about every undercard has its share of fighters who need a win just to stay viable in the big leagues, and Saturday night’s event is no exception.

Let’s check out who might be looking at a win-or-go-home scenario at UFC 130, and who merely needs to lose with a little flair.

Kendall Grove (12-8-1 overall, 7-5 UFC)
Who he’s fighting: Tim Boetsch
Why he’s in danger: It doesn’t seem like it, but Grove has been a UFC mainstay for nearly five years now. Kind of surprising, right? Or maybe it’s just surprising that a guy could hang around in the middle of the pack for that long, making no significant moves up or down, and yet still hanging on to his job. Grove has a talent for survival in that way. He loses two in a row, then wins two in a row. Then he loses again. Then wins. Then loses. Then…you get it. The UFC overlords have shown that they’ll only put up with that pattern for so long, with occasional exceptions made for fan favorites or aging legends. Grove is neither, really, and he’s coming off an unimpressive showing in a decision loss to Demian Maia. If he loses this he’ll be 2-4 in his last six fights. And the two wins? Both came against fighters who are no longer with the UFC. If Grove doesn’t want to join them, he’d better pull out a victory.
Odds of getting cut: 2-1. Boetsch is a difficult opponent for him. Grove’s stand-up is sharp enough and he’s got that gangly jiu-jitsu game off the bottom that gives some people trouble, but he can be outwrestled, which is Boetsch’s specialty. If he loses a snoozer of a decision, somebody better pass Grove the want ads.

Tim Boetsch (12-4 overall, 3-3 UFC)
Who he’s fighting: Kendall Grove
Why he’s in danger: Boetsch has already been cut from the UFC once, and without ever losing two in a row. He went 2-2 in his first stint, taking one step forward and one step back until the UFC sent him down to the minors to beat up on scrubs. Now he’s back, but already up to his old tricks with a 1-1 record this time around. In his last fight he fell victim to Phil Davis’ “Mr. Wonderful” kimura, which is the MMA equivalent of getting posterized by a monster dunk in the NBA. Boetsch’s problem isn’t just his record – it’s his style. He favors the wrestler’s grind, which doesn’t make you many friends in the UFC offices. If they can’t count on you to at least put on a show in defeat, your contract finds its way to the shredder a lot quicker. Now a middleweight, Boetsch needs to get back to the ‘Hulk smash!’ style he displayed in his UFC debut. If he can overpower and straight-up bully Grove, he stands a good chance of winning the fight and keeping his job.
Odds of getting cut: 3-1. Boetsch has only been submitted once in his career, and that was a freakish incident to begin with. If Grove has to fight from the bottom against this guy he’s going to have a long night. I’m not saying it’ll be fun to watch, but I think Boetsch wins. If he doesn’t want to go back to the bush leagues, he’d better.

Rafaello Oliveira (14-3 overall, 1-2 UFC)
Who he’s fighting: Gleison Tibau
Why he’s in danger: Oliveira has also been cut once already, and he wouldn’t be back this soon if Bart Palaszewski hadn’t pulled out with an injury in the weeks before this fight. The UFC appreciates a fighter willing to step up on short notice and do the organization a solid, so as long as Oliveira can turn in a halfway decent effort he can at least make a case for continued employment. Then again, the flip side of taking a short notice fight like this is that you might be signing yourself up for one seriously bad showing if you aren’t adequately prepared. When you end the fight bloodied and beaten, people tend to remember that image and forget how eager you were to jump in there and scrap.
Odds of being cut: Even. Would cutting a guy who stepped up on short notice for you be a real cold-hearted move? Sure. Has the UFC shown an absolute willingness to make such cold-hearted moves in the past? You bet.

Cole Escovedo (17-6 overall, 0-0 UFC)
Who he’s fighting: Renan Barao
Why he’s in danger: Escovedo has been in the game for almost ten years now, and it’s hard not to wonder if he didn’t spend the best of those years as the pre-Zuffa era WEC featherweight champ. There wasn’t a lot of fame or money in that particular title back in those days, and he’s spent the years since then bouncing around from one promotion to the next without ever putting serious roots down. He got knocked out in the IFL, won one fight in the Strikeforce Challengers series, and had mixed results with Dream. Getting his foot in the door with the UFC is a very big deal, but he shouldn’t expect much patience from the bosses now that he’s there. The fact is, Escovedo is pushing 30 and it’s now-or-never time. He’s got talent, but the UFC isn’t likely to see him as investment worth sitting on for too long. He needs to show that he’s got the goods to last at this level, and he needs to do it in a hurry.
Odds of getting cut: 2-1. This is a winnable fight, but by no means an easy one. The UFC is going to be looking for Escovedo to show that he’s not just some guy who beats the also-rans and loses to the rest. If he’s smart, he’ll see this somewhat late notice bout on the bottom of the card for what it is: a tryout. If he’s not ready to make the most of it now, after the career he’s had, then he never will be.

 

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