Neil Grove (born 18 January 1971) is a South African-English

Heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 3 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the W ...

professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

. A professional competitor since 2006, Grove has competed for the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

, Bellator

Cage Rage Cage Rage Championships, also known as Cage Rage, was a United Kingdom-based, mixed martial arts promotion that premiered on 7 September 2002 in London. Cage Rage went into liquidation and is now no longer trading. Cage Rage had been owned and ma ...

UCMMA Ultimate Challenge MMA (also referred to as UCMMA) is a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United Kingdom. It is shown live on London Live in the UK, Fight Now TV in the US and on Viewster in several other countries. History The collapse ...

, and the SFL.

Background

Originally from South Africa, Grove began competing in rugby at a young age. Having attended eight different schools growing up, Grove was frequently bullied being the "new kid," and often got into fights as a result. In 1996, Grove moved to London, England, where he worked as a personal trainer, sports therapist, and also worked as a bouncer at an Irish nightclub in South London. In 2000, after Grove and a fellow bouncer were involved in a massive brawl at the nightclub, the two men were forced to take Goju-ryu classes at Daigaku Karate Kai as a way of learning control and self-restraint. Grove soon developed a love for the

martial art Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...

, which, as a combat-style

karate (; ; Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the influence of Chinese martial arts, particularly Fuj ...

, involves throws and

submission wrestling Submission wrestling, also known as Submission grappling, Submission fighting a form of competition and a general term for martial arts and combat sports that focus on clinch and ground fighting with the aim of obtaining a submission through ...

. A year after receiving his black belt in 2005, Grove transitioned into

Sambo , aka = Sombo (in English-speaking countries) , focus = Hybrid , country = Soviet Union , pioneers = Viktor Spiridonov, Vasili Oshchepkov, Anatoly Kharlampiev , famous_pract = List of Practitioners , olym ...

Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting ( ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

and mixed martial arts.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Grove made his professional debut at ''UKMMAC 17: Iron Circle'' on 16 November 2006, beating Anthony Okorie by

TKO TKO may refer to: Sports * Technical knockout, a professional fighting term * Total Knock Out, a professional wrestling move Music Artists * TKO (band), a rock band from Seattle, Washington * TKO, a pop group led by Katie White Albums * ''TKO ...

. He next fought at ''UKMMAC 18: Fists of Fury'' against Denniston Sutherland, who was 30 kg lighter than Grove at the time. Grove won by TKO in the first round.

Cage Rage

On 14 July 2007, Grove made his Cage Rage debut at ''Cage Rage 22: Hard as Hell'', stepping in on two days notice to fight

PRIDE Pride is defined by Merriam-Webster as "reasonable self-esteem" or "confidence and satisfaction in oneself". A healthy amount of pride is good, however, pride sometimes is used interchangeably with "conceit" or "arrogance" (among other words) wh ...

veteran James Thompson. Grove knocked out the heavily favored Thompson in just 10 seconds of the first round. Grove followed up with two more stoppages in Cage Rage before facing former Cage Rage heavyweight champion Rob Broughton. Grove lost the bout by majority decision. Grove fought in a rematch against

Robert Berry The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

at ''Cage Rage 27: Step Up'' on 12 July 2008. He won via TKO in the second round. After the fight, Grove called out both Mostapha Al-turk and Kimbo Slice. Grove and Al-turk were scheduled for a heavyweight title fight before Cage Rage closed down.

Ultimate Challenge MMA

After Cage Rage fell, Grove went on to Dave O'Donnell's new promotion:

Ultimate Challenge MMA Ultimate Challenge MMA (also referred to as UCMMA) is a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United Kingdom. It is shown live on London Live in the UK, Fight Now TV in the US and on Viewster in several other countries. History The collapse ...

. On their very first event, Grove defeated

James McSweeney James Adam McSweeney (born 24 October 1980) is a British kickboxer and retired mixed martial artist. A professional MMA competitor since 2005, McSweeney is well known for being a cast member of Spike TV's '' The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights'' ...

via TKO to win the inaugural Ultimate Challenge Heavyweight title.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

On 16 December 2008, Grove announced that he was signing a four-fight deal with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Grove expressed interest in fighting fellow European standout Mostapha al-Turk, who has also signed with the UFC. He lost his long-awaited UFC debut

UFC 95 ''UFC 95: Sanchez vs. Stevenson'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on February 21, 2009 at The O2 Arena in London, United Kingdom. Background The event was broadcast live for viewers in Europe and ...

in London, England, to Mike Ciesnolevicz via Heel hook submission early in the first round. Grove was released from his UFC contract in May.

Return to Ultimate Challenge MMA

After being released from the UFC, he returned to

as their Heavyweight Champion. Grove defeated Martin Thompson to retain his title. He then fought to a draw with Stav Economou at Ultimate Challenge MMA: Never Back Down.

Bellator

Grove made his Bellator and U.S. debut against

Eddie Sanchez Eduardo Arturo Sanchez (born November 4, 1982) is an American professional mixed martial artist who last competed in the Heavyweight division. A professional since 2004, he has competed for the UFC, Bellator, Titan FC, Final Fight Championship ...

, winning via TKO (Punches) at 1:32 of round 1. He next faced

Alexey Oleynik Aleksei Alexeyevich Oleinik (born June 25, 1977, as Oleksíy Oleksíyovych Olíynyk) is a Russian mixed martial artist and combat sambo fighter who fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, competing in their heavyweight division. He b ...

at Bellator 29 and won via TKO at 0:45 in the first round. This win earned Grove a spot in the finals of the Bellator Heavyweight Tournament, where he faced undefeated wrestler Cole Konrad. Grove lost the fight via submission in the first round. Grove was scheduled to make his return to the promotion at Bellator 43 where he would face The Ultimate Fighter 10 alumnus Zak Jensen. However, Grove pulled out of the bout due to an injury. Grove instead fought Jensen at Bellator 47. He won the fight via TKO in the first round. Grove entered the Bellator Season Five Heavyweight Tournament. He faced Mike Hayes at

Bellator 52 2011 in Bellator MMA was the fourth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in multiple weight classes, including three of the original tournament classes: Welterweight, Lightweight and Feather ...

and lost the back-and-forth bout via split decision. Grove faced

Thiago Santos Thiago Santos de Lima (born January 7, 1984) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently signed to the Professional Fighters League (PFL), competing in the light heavyweight division. Prior to signing with the PFL, Santos competed for the U ...

Bellator 56 2011 in Bellator MMA was the fourth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in multiple weight classes, including three of the original tournament classes: Welterweight, Lightweight and Feathe ...

in the semi-finals after Blagoi Ivanov pulled out of the bout due to an injury. He lost the fight via submission in the first round.

Super Fight League

Grove faced Todd Duffee in the main event at SFL 2. He lost via TKO at 34 seconds in the first round.

Third run in UCMMA

Grove was scheduled to return to UCMMA at UCMMA 31 to face Darren Towler for the UCMMA heavyweight title, but Towler had to retire before the match due to a serious shoulder injury, being replaced by Tomasz Czerwinski making the match for the interim heavyweight title. Grove snapped his three fight losing streak, knocking out Czerwinski in the first round.

Bellator return

After being away from the sport for two and a half years, Grove is scheduled to return in July 2016. He faced James Mulheron at Bellator 158 on 16 July 2016. Grove lost the fight by unanimous decision. Grove was scheduled to face Łukasz Parobiec on 19 May 2017 at Bellator 170. However, the fight was cancelled for undisclosed reasons.

Championships and accomplishments

** Ultimate Challenge MMA Heavyweight Championship (One time) ** Ultimate Challenge MMA Interim Heavyweight Championship (Current) *

Bellator Fighting Championship Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media conglomerate Paramount Global. ...

**Bellator Season Three Heavyweight Tournament Runner up

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 12–8–1 , James Mulheron , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 158 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

London, England London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...

, , - , Loss , align=center, 12–7–1 ,

Shamil Abdurakhimov Shamil Gentovich Abdurakhimov (born September 2, 1981) is a Russian mixed martial artist, who is currently fighting in the heavyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of December 13, 2022, he is #14 in the UFC heavywe ...

, Decision (unanimous) , Tech-Krep FC: Southern Front 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Krasnodar Krasnodar (; rus, Краснода́р, p=krəsnɐˈdar; ady, Краснодар), formerly Yekaterinodar (until 1920), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Krasnodar Krai, Russia. The city stands on the Kuban River in south ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 12–6–1 , Tomasz Czerwinski , KO (punches) , UCMMA 31 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:59 , London, England, United Kingdom , Won the Interim UCMMA Heavyweight Championship. , - , Loss , align=center, 11–6–1 , Todd Duffee , TKO (punches) , SFL 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:34 ,

Chandigarh Chandigarh () is a planned city in India. Chandigarh is bordered by the state of Punjab to the west and the south, and by the state of Haryana to the east. It constitutes the bulk of the Chandigarh Capital Region or Greater Chandigarh, which ...

, India , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–5–1 , Thiago dos Santos , Submission (rear-naked choke) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:38 , Kansas City, Kansas, United States , Bellator Season Five Heavyweight Tournament Semifinal; Replaced an injured Blagoi Ivanov. , - , Loss , align=center, 11–4–1 , Mike Hayes , Decision (split) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Lake Charles, Louisiana Lake Charles (French: ''Lac Charles'') is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the parish seat of Calcasieu Parish, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Founded in 1861 in Calcasi ...

, United States , Bellator Season Five Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal. , - , Win , align=center, 11–3–1 , Zak Jensen , TKO (punches) , Bellator 47 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:00 ,

Rama, Ontario Rama is a First Nations community on the Chippewas of Rama First Nation reserve in Ontario, Canada. It is the home of Casino Rama. The community sports complex is called the Mnjikaning Arena Sports Ki, which was the home arena of the Couchichi ...

, Canada , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–3–1 , Cole Konrad , Submission (americana) ,

Bellator 32 2010 in Bellator MMA was the second installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships (Bellator FC)-produced series. It started on April 8, 2010 and ended June 24, 2010. Tournaments were held in the featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and ...

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:45 , Kansas City, Missouri, United States , Bellator Season Three Heavyweight Tournament Final. , - , Win , align=center, 10–2–1 ,

, TKO (punches) , Bellator 29 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:45 , Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States , Bellator Season Three Heavyweight Tournament Semifinal. , - , Win , align=center, 9–2–1 ,

, TKO (referee stoppage) , Bellator 24 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:32 ,

Hollywood, Florida Hollywood is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States, located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. As of July 1, 2019, Hollywood had a population of 154,817. Founded in 1925, the city grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, and is no ...

, United States , Bellator Season Three Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal. , - , Draw , align=center, 8–2–1 , Stav Economou , Draw , UCMMA 12: Never Back Down , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , London, England , For the UCMMA Heavyweight Championship. , - , Win , align=center, 8–2 , Martin Thompson , TKO (punches) , UCMMA 8: Dynamite , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:53 , London, England , Retained the UCMMA Heavyweight Championship , - , Loss , align=center, 7–2 , Mike Ciesnolevicz , Submission (inverted heel hook) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:03 , London, England , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 ,

, KO (punches) , UCMMA 1: Bad Breed , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:38 , London, England , Won UCMMA Heavyweight Championship. , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 , Robert Berry , TKO (punches) , Cage Rage 27 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:29 , London, England , , - , Loss , align=center, 5–1 ,

Rob Broughton Rob Broughton (born 3 March 1983) is an English former mixed martial artist who competed in the heavyweight division. A professional competitor between 2004 and 2015, Broughton is a former British Cage Rage heavyweight champion and has also co ...

, Decision (majority) ,

Cage Rage 25 A cage is an enclosure often made of mesh, bars, or wires, used to confine, contain or protect something or someone. A cage can serve many purposes, including keeping an animal or person in captivity, capturing an animal or person, and display ...

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , London, England , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Robert Berry , TKO (corner stoppage) , Cage Rage 24 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 5:00 , London, England , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Domagoj Ostojic , TKO (punches) ,

Cage Rage 23 A cage is an enclosure often made of mesh, bars, or wires, used to confine, contain or protect something or someone. A cage can serve many purposes, including keeping an animal or person in captivity, capturing an animal or person, and displayin ...

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:34 , London, England , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , James Thompson , KO (punch) ,

Cage Rage 22 A cage is an enclosure often made of mesh, bars, or wires, used to confine, contain or protect something or someone. A cage can serve many purposes, including keeping an animal or person in captivity, capturing an animal or person, and displayin ...

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:10 , London, England , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Denniston Sutherland , TKO (punches) , UKMMAC 18: Fists of Fury , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:05 ,

Purfleet Purfleet-on-Thames is a town in the Thurrock unitary authority, Essex, England. It is bordered by the A13 road to the north and the River Thames to the south and is within the easternmost part of the M25 motorway but just outside the Greater Lond ...

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Anthony Okorie , TKO (punches) , UKMMAC 17: Iron Circle , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:54 , England ,

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Grove, Neil 1971 births Living people White South African people English male mixed martial artists South African male mixed martial artists Heavyweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Muay Thai Mixed martial artists utilizing sambo Mixed martial artists utilizing Gōjū-ryū Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu English sportspeople of South African descent English male karateka South African male karateka English Muay Thai practitioners South African Muay Thai practitioners English practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu South African practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu English sambo practitioners South African sambo practitioners Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters