Kendall Grove and Diego Sanchez Win at TUF Finale

Amir Sadollah earned a UFC contract at The Ultimate Fighter Season 7 Finale, but he wasn’t the only big winner. Former TUF season winners Kendall Grove and Diego Sanchez both got their careers back on track with important victories.

After back to back losses to Patrick Cote and Jorge Rivera, Kendall Grove's future in the UFC’s 185-pound division may have been riding on the result of Saturday night’s bout at The Palms against Evan Tanner. Subsequently, the Hawaii native put on perhaps his most disciplined performance as he decisioned the former UFC middleweight champion in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter Finale.

Scores were 30-26 twice and 28-29 for Grove.

“He did good recovering, he put me against the cage and he was strong like I expected, but just like I was taught, if he takes me down, get up and pressure him because I knew he was getting tired,” said Grove. “My last two fights I got embarrassed, but I grew up as a fighter during those losses.”

He showed it against Tanner, who has now lost two in a row following an almost two-year hiatus from the sport. Grove came out jabbing, wisely trying to use his 6-6 frame, but Tanner closed the distance quickly, working his foe against the fence and onto the mat as the bout entered its second minute. Grove fought his way back up just as fast, and a hard elbow and a follow up knee broke Tanner’s grip and cut the former middleweight champ over the left eye. Grove tried to finish things off with a kick to the head, but he fell in the process, allowing Tanner to shake the cobwebs loose. Grove was getting more confident by the second, even jumping up and landing a right knee while Tanner held his left leg hostage. With two minutes remaining, Tanner got a takedown, but Grove broke free after attempting a triangle choke. Following that sequence, Tanner missed a knee and Grove got his back, but Tanner scored an escape of his own and looked to be controlling the action against the fence before the bell intervened.

Tanner immediately engaged to begin the second, but Grove’s heavier and more accurate hands seemed to be taking a toll on the Las Vegan. To cope, Tanner closed the gap between the two and bulled Grove to the fence. ‘Da Spyder’ scored with another jumping knee, but seconds later Tanner was able to finally secure the takedown. Grove got up with the aid of a kimura attempt, and he followed up with a hard right elbow to the head that hurt Tanner. Grove pounced, but Tanner fought off the onslaught, at least for the moment, and made it out of the round.

Despite an apparent two round lead, Grove didn’t let up in the third, and he kept his focus rock-solid as he landed with his strikes and kept Tanner at bay with his takedown defense. Not surprisingly, Tanner kept moving forward, looking for the one opening he needed to turn the fight around, and though he landed his share of shots, in the end, it wasn’t enough for the win.

Welterweight contender Diego Sanchez was sharp and focused in his bout against Luigi Fioravanti, stopping the American Top Team product in the third round of an exciting bout that was fought predominantly on the feet.

“For a long time people have underestimated my striking ability,” said Sanchez. “Joe Riggs (a first round KO for Sanchez in 2006) wasn’t a fluke. I’m back.”

Scowling from the opening bell, Sanchez opted to keep it standing with the hard-hitting Fioravanti, scoring with a crisp flurry and just missing with a flying knee moments later. Midway through the round, Sanchez landed with a hard kick to the head, but his subsequent takedown attempts were shut down by Fioravanti, and it was the Florida native who ended the round in style with a takedown of his own.

The fight continued at a similar pace in the second, but 20 seconds in, Fioravanti appeared to hurt his right leg. Sanchez moved in, and seconds later he dropped his foe with a right hand. After some dicey moments, Fioravanti worked his way back up, but Sanchez kept the pressure on, eventually hurting his opponent again with the right hand. Fioravanti showed his resilience by shaking off the punch, and it was the Marine who ended the round with a strong flurry that got the crowd roaring.

With five minutes left to go in the fight, the two kept testing each other’s standup, with both Sanchez and Fioravanti having their moments. It was Sanchez though who had the final word as a left kick to the head stunned Fioravanti as the bout approached its final minute. A follow-up right knee put Fioravanti down, and a furious barrage of ground strikes forced referee Josh Rosenthal to halt the bout at the 4:07 mark.