woo hoo, this one should be a win for Tanner! It will also be a better fight than the Diego vs Fioravanti. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Kendall Grove will meet former UFC middleweight champion Evan Tanner at “The Ultimate Fighter 7” Live Finale on Saturday, June 21 inside the Pearl Concert Theater at the Palms Casino and Resort in Las Vegas. Grove announced the match-up on his Web site (www.kendallgrovemma.com). Grove (8-5, 3-2 UFC), the middleweight winner from season three of “The Ultimate Fighter,” has taken a nosedive of late, as he has dropped back-to-back fights with Patrick Cote and Jorge Rivera. His last outing lasted only 80 seconds, as Rivera brutalized the lanky Hawaiian with punches against the cage. The 26-year-old Grove has secured six of his eight victories by submission, including UFC wins against Alan Belcher and Chris Price. Few in the middleweight division carry Tanner’s credentials. The 37-year-old Texan made an unsuccessful return to the Octagon in March, when Yushin Okami knocked him out with a knee at UFC 82: Pride of a Champion. Tanner (32-7, 11-5 UFC) has dropped three of his last four fights, including a pair of one-sided defeats to Rich Franklin and David Loiseau. However, he holds notable victories against reigning EliteXC middleweight titleholder Robbie Lawler, UFC heavyweight contender Heath Herring and Strikeforce knockout artist Paul Buentello. Tanner’s 16 appearances inside the eight-sided cage rank sixth all-time behind only Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Matt Hughes, Randy Couture and Tank Abbott. “The Ultimate Fighter 7” Live Finale will be headlined by a welterweight tilt between Diego Sanchez and Luigi Fioravanti.</div>
Could be interesting. Grove's striking is much better than Tanner's, but Tanner should have an advantage in G&P.
