Is Grove still destined for the big things?

“Kendall Grove is dead. My next tattoo is gonna be ‘In Loving Memory of Kendall Grove.’” Trotter, Kendal’s new alter ego.

Kendall Grove returns to Las Vegas, the place of his greatest victory two years ago. The former weight champion Evan Tanner faces ‘DaSpyder’ this Saturday in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter Finale.

Kendall Grove has gone through lots of ups and downs since he won The Ultimate Fighter Finale 3 by unanimous decision against Ed Herman on June 24th 2006.

When he seemed destined to big things after his succeeding victories, against Chris Price and Alan Belcher, two consecutive knockout losses against Patrick Cote and Jorge Rivera, made the public doubt of him as elite material.

Grove acknowledges his mistakes, celebrating too soon and letting his success distract him from what he is, a fighter. At that time he was helping aspiring fighters to live his dream, to launch their careers, which probably was not a mistake, but was just too soon, not the best timing when he needed first to consolidate his starting career.

Back in 2007 he commented: “So I flew them out and they’re staying with me for free, eating for free, and they get to train at Couture’s and they love it. For me it was different. I came up here and I pretty much fought for everything. I cleaned the gym and all this stuff and it would have been easier. I would have learned a lot faster if I had somebody to help me, but I never had that. And I told myself that if I make it, I’m gonna help people make it to where I’m at right now, and now, that’s what I’m doing.”

Right now, he thinks totally different. He commented: “I went through this like ‘I made it, I’m successful, I’m gonna help people,’ but everyone’s just gonna use you. Everyone got comfortable getting, getting, getting, and when I wasn’t giving no more, they turned on me. So you’ve got to make choices sometimes. I made sacrifices to get where I’m at, and now I’ve got to make sacrifices to stay where I’m at. In the end, the only guy I can depend on is myself. I made the bed I laid in and when I’m in there getting embarrassed and knocked out, I’m the one taking the criticism – no one else. So I’ve got to get ruthless.”

Grove’s losses were against veterans Cote and Rivera, similar to Tanner. Difference is Tanner is a pioneer who have been fighting for around 10 years.

So he stopped and did what was best for him. He returned to the basics, going back to Hawaii to focus on his training.

Grove is certainly training very hard and if he stays focused, he has an opportunity.

Grove commented: “I cleaned up my life a lot and my eyes are wide open. Like Dana told (UFC President) me in the beginning, watch out for the cling-ons. In a way you’ve got to experience it for yourself and I got blinded for a second, but I’m on track. All my life I had to learn the hard way; why is it gonna stop now?”