Kendall Grove Has Found His Balance as a Top Fighter, but Don't Talk Titles | MMAWeekly.com

Since joining Bellator in late 2013, middleweight Kendall Grove has managed to win four of six fights, and feels like at this point and time, he’s better than he has been in his previous 13 years of fighting.

“I know it’s trial and errors, and it took me 30-plus fights, but I finally got it,” Grove told MMAWeekly.com. “I found my range. I found my power. I’ve got good people around me. I’ve got un-negative people around me. And everything is flowing.

“I’ve found a good balance now. I can be a good, top-tier fighter. I can be a good guy; a husband and a father of six. I’ve just found a balance in life, and I think it’s showing in my career now.”

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Coming off a second-round TKO win over Francisco France in February, Grove (23-15) gets to take another step towards title contention when he faces former Bellator champion Alexander Schlemenko (53-9) in a 185-pound main event on Oct. 21 in Memphis, Tenn.

“I get to fight a tough former champion in a main event and I’m excited,” said Grove. “I keep (Schlemenko) at my range, I keep him away, and I pick him apart. If it goes to the ground, I’ll look for a submission.

“We’ll see. He’s no punk. He’s a great fighter. He’s a dangerous fighter. He hits hard. And he’s not afraid to mix it up. I could tell you all my predictions, but at the end, it doesn’t really matter. I’ve just got to go out and show you guys.”

With a win over a former champion, Grove could place himself squarely in the title mix, but it’s not something he likes to concentrate on. He knows there’s plenty of competition out there, so he’s patient for when his time will come.

“I don’t like talking about that,” Grove said. “Possibly… I would think so, but if not… There’s a lot a fighters, there’s a lot of talent, and there’s a couple guys who have called me out.

“At the end of the day, a title is the top of the mountain, it’s a ceremonial trophy, and I wouldn’t mind having it, but I don’t like talking about it because I’m not fighting for it right now. I’ve got to get past a tough Russian before I can even talk about that. If I get it, I get it; but if I don’t, I’ll still be fighting.”

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