07-11-2008, 08:50 AM
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rotaredoM FF
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: England
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Neil 'The Goliath' Grove Interview
Total MMA » Blog Archive » Neil Grove: “Kimbo’s next”
Quote:
The heavyweight semi-main event at Cage Rage 27 now carries greater significance with the announcement that the winner could then be in line to face Elite XC superstar Kimbo Slice.
Neil Grove - who will take on Robert ‘Buzz’ Berry at Wembley Arena - revealed exclusively to Total-MMA.com that while promoter Gary Shaw has discussed the potential mega-fight with him, he is not holding his breath about being flown to the US any time soon even if victorious on Saturday night.
“I think it’ll be a good fight and whoever wins, best of luck to them because i think they’ve got a either a British title shot or Kimbo Slice,” said Grove.
“This is what we’ve been promised all long by Gary Shaw. I’d been told by some of the boys that if I beat Buzz in December then they’ll send me to America. I know it wasn’t a pretty fight but I’m still here (in England). I’m not too impressed with their promises.
“I don’t really rate him (Slice) at all to be honest with you. James Thompson almost beat him and i think to me it would be more important to fight for the British title.”
Grove was one of the breakout stars of UK MMA in 2007 recording three first round victories in the second half of the year including a ten-second knockout of Thompson. His December bout against Berry ended controversially when the Sunderland native retired on his stall after five minutes complaining of chest pains.
“After the last fight with me he (Berry) admitted on forums that it was the fight of his life and his excuse for giving up after the first round was because of an infection,” said the 5-1 Grove.
“I’d just been sick as well but I didn’t use it as an excuse. I’ve admitted in interviews and on websites that he won the first round fair and square, which is why it was really disappointing he didn’t come out for the second round to get a hiding.
“This fight is to prove that I am better than him. I’ve trained really hard for it and am the fittest I’ve ever been.”
Looking further ahead than the coming weekend, it is clear what the most pressing priority is in the big South African’s itinerary.
“I’ve always said to them that I’d like to fight for the British title,” he said.
“I don’t want to be involved in the spectacle. I don’t want to fight Tank Abbott or Butterbean because its not a way forward for me, it wont push me up the rankings.
“If I win against Buzz I’ll ask the fans who they’d like to see my fight next. Kimbo Slice or for the British title. I’m hoping they all agree with more for the latter more than anything.”
K-1 star James McSweeney will take on ADCC grappling competitor Mustapha Al-Turk for the vacant UK strap on the undercard of Saturday’s event. Grove admits he was taken aback by the fighters chosen to compete for the belt and the decision to not feature the bout prominently on television.
“We’re surprised with the two guys they chose for the slot but good luck to the both of them because I think both of them are good fighters,” he said.
“James is really good but hes coming off of a few losses. As much as a I like the guy as a person i don’t think hes in the right place. Rob Broughton should be there or me or ‘Buzz’ should be there fighting for the title.
“They’ve done it before. When Tengiz (Tedoradze) and Mus (Al-Turk) fought in December it was on the undercard as well. It’s Elite XC at the end of the day, nothing to do with the British public or where they want to see the fights.
“I don’t want to tell the management how to do their jobs. I just think when you fight for a title it should be way up there on the card.”
Grove and Berry had originally been scheduled to main event the “Step Up” show, until former UFC star Phil Baroni was added to the line-up to and will make his first appearance in the welterweight division in the shows headline attraction.
“I think again it is an Elite XC thing and we’ve dropped down,” said Grove.
“Nobody has rung me to say ‘Sorry Neil, you’re not the main event any more’. I just think out of decency they could have called up said ‘the pressure is off’.
“At the time when we were negotiating fees to be in the main event, I was told there is not a lot of money available but you don’t fly Phil Baroni over from America for nothing.”
British youngster Scott Jansen will take on the ‘New York Bad Ass’ in the main event. The former Muay Thai fighter has never previously fought on a Cage Rage card at Wembley and the decision to book him clearly confused the more experienced heavyweight.
“I don’t even know who he is,” exclaimed Grove.
“Americans that watch this laugh at the fight cards. They say, “Who’s this? Who’s fighting who now?’. They’re going to struggle to complete with companies like Affliction or the UFC because they put the best fight cards together and they pay their fighters properly.
“Gary Shaw’s first words to us were that it’s about the fighters, not about the show and to me he’s contradicted himself completely.
“If they are going to pick fighters to come over from the States, make sure they’re known. That British fighters would know them and not has-beens or guys that have given up.
“You think to yourself ‘Why? Why are we fighting has beens? Why cant we fight Tim Sylvia and those sort of people?’. It’s because the moneys not great.”
While the former bouncer may not agree with some of the business decisions taken, Grove clearly still loves the competition the sport offers and has set his sights on securing his legacy in UK MMA.
“I don’t know how long it is going to take for the sport in Britain to get as big as it has gotten in America but I want to be a part of that growth,” he said.
“I want people to look back and say ‘Neil Grove, one of the first heavyweight champions’.”
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Some very good points made in this interview imo, especially about some of the washed-up fighters that CR are in the habit of bringing over. I think he's also pretty brave speaking out against Shaw, could be a risky move tho!
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