Kendall Grove vs Jorge Rivera at UFC 80 on Jan. 19

UFC fighter Kendall Grove says he's happy with his opponent for UFC 80: Rapid Fire on Jan. 19 in Newcastle, England.

After winning three fights in the octagon, Grove lost his last match to Canadian Patrick Cote in August. Saturday, he'll face Jorge Rivera a muay thai kickboxing specialist who is coming off one of the fastest losses in UFC history; a 14-second KO at the hands of Terry Martin.

"I think I match up good," he tells cagepotato.com. "We're both tough, tough fighters. We both fight 'til the bitter end. I think it's going to come down to conditioning. I know that towards the end of the second or third rounds, he starts to slow down a little, and kinda' paces himself. I think I'm just going to put it on him. I'll dictate the pace of the fight. Rivera's a seasoned vet, and I think he's a good opponent, regardless of his losses. Everybody loses. That's why I love this sport, MMA and the UFC, because nobody is invincible. Anybody can get taken out, just by one punch. I think he's going to be a tough opponent and an exciting fight for me."

The 6 foot 6 fighter from Hawaii is interested in a variety of subjects besides fighting, like marijuana and how it affects fighting.

"I've been smoking weed since I was in the sixth grade," Grove says. "I can openly say that. But I'm also clean when I fight. I cut that shit out. I'm a professional. Don't get me wrong, my first six fights, I fought high, I fought stoned. But when you get to this level, you have to take responsibility. It's your job. I stop doing that stuff three months out."

Source: beat.bodoglife.com