UFC 116 Preview: The Prelims

Kendall Grove vs. Goran Reljic

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After botching his return against C.B. Dollaway, Reljic is looking to prove that he is still a top-flight middleweight prospect against former “TUF” champion Grove. Although Grove never developed into a middleweight title contender, he is undoubtedly one of the division’s top gatekeepers and a real challenge for Reljic at this point in the young Croat’s career.

The main problem with Reljic’s style is that he goes for broke with no regard for his conditioning, which is precisely what cost him his bout with Dollaway. His invisible takedown defense didn’t help him much either. While Grove is nowhere near the wrestler that Dollaway is, he has developed serviceable takedowns. Considering Reljic couldn’t get anything going against Dollaway’s porous submission defense, he’ll be hard pressed trying to catch his Hawaiian quarry.

As with any fight involving Grove, no matter how many advantages he has, his fragile chin is a disaster waiting to happen. While Reljic lacks technically proficient striking, his natural athleticism translates beautifully to MMA, especially when it comes to kicks. No matter the target he can generate massive power on his kicks, and that is something Grove must be aware of if he’s to win this fight.

Although Grove does often get into dicey exchanges on the feet, he’s a severely underrated striker and should have no problem roughing up Reljic in close quarters. Keeping in mind Grove’s excellent jiu-jitsu skills, Reljic won’t find any solace on the mat. For as long as Reljic’s gas tank holds up, this should be a fun fight, but Grove will outlast him en route to either a late TKO or decision win.