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Grove ready for second BKFC fight

Maui fighter to take on Stamps, hopes to bring card to islands

Kendall Grove lands a punch on Bruce Abramski during the Maui fighter’s unanimous decision victory at BKFC 2 on Aug. 25. • BKFC photo

Kendall Grove was picking up his kids from school on Monday afternoon when he took a chance to talk about his upcoming Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship bout with Marcel Stamps.

The symbolism was fitting.

Grove, a father of six, turns 36 years old on Nov. 12, and he wants to be one of the founding fathers of BKFC.

“Excited, opportunity, you know I get to fight again in a brand-new organization,” Grove said prior to leaving for Biloxi, Miss., on Wednesday. “And kind of instill myself as a foundation piece of this organization. So, I’m very privileged to be a part of the third show, you know, just coming off my win in the first one.”

Grove will face Stamps, a former University of Alabama football player, at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum on Saturday night. Grove beat Bruce Abramski by unanimous decision on Aug. 25 at BKFC 2.

Grove is declared the winner. • BKFC photo

“Again, this is a new fight league,” Grove said. “He’s 1-0, I’m 1-0, and he’s an athlete, he’s undefeated as an MMA fighter. He’s had some amateur fights, he’s a former linebacker for the University of Alabama. … I’ve seen some of his MMA fights, explosive, not a TKO guy, he knocks them out, so he’s got some power.”

Grove said he will count on the experience of his 43-fight professional career — he is 24-18 with a no-contest in MMA competition spread through several organizations and his debut win in the BKFC.

“When I was giving him too much hype, I realized he’s still human, I’m more seasoned, I’m a veteran in fights,” Grove said. “I feel that will be my up-fall and his downfall, my experience of being in there in big fights.”

Grove said he learned a simple lesson in his first bare knuckle fight.

“Not to swing wild,” he said with a laugh. “You definitely have got to watch out, you can hurt your hand very easily if you’re not punching correctly.

“It is a fight and there were times when instincts kicked in for me and I’m, like, ‘OK, you’re too close, boom.’ You throw something out there. Fortunately for me it landed but it hit wrong parts, harder parts of his head and I sort of hurt my hand, Nothing too serious.”

Grove said he cannot be sure that instinct will not kick in again when he enters the ring.

“This next time we’ll see if I’ve evolved or took a step back,” Grove said. “That’s why we fight, to prove myself and to see who’s better. That’s my personal reason — I want to prove to you that I’m better. A kid from Maui, Hawaii, that couldn’t read, couldn’t write. (Expletive) everyone said, ‘You’ll be one worthless piece of (expletive).’ And look what I’ve done so far.”

Along those lines, Grove wants to bring a BKFC card to the 50th state. He is in the middle of a three-fight contract with the new organization.

“I’ve established myself as a foundation piece,” he said. “Now I’m just trying to build the rest of the structure — a one-bedroom, two-bedroom, three-bedroom or a mansion. The sky’s the limit.”

He said he is in discussions to try to bring the sport here. Adjustments must be made to state law to allow such a boxing card without gloves.

“I’m trying to make it happen here on Maui as we speak, hopefully,” Grove said. “Right now there’s a state law that you have to have a glove or something on your hand. … Hopefully after this fight I can have a meeting (with officials) and make it happen.”

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