Kendally Grove (photo via Bellator)

By Kelsey Mowatt

Kendall Grove may be scheduled to fight BJJ black belt, Francisco France on Friday, but “Da Spyder” is reminding folks he can also hang with the best on the mat.

The middleweights are scheduled to fight at Bellator 150, which will take place at the Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas. Recently Grove appeared on Full Contact Fighter Radio, and while discussing France the UFC vet stated:

“His ground game is his strong suit. That’s how he’s finished most of his fights, but I ain’t a punk on the ground either,” said Grove. “I fought arguably the best jiu-jitsu, MMA fighter out there in Demian Maia and I came up short, but I did pretty good…I defended everything he threw at me. Ricardo Almeida same thing, who is a Renzo Gracie, black belt, and he couldn’t do s–t to me but hold on and try to grind out a decision. So I’m confident on the ground too.”

“I ain’t a p—y on the ground,” added Grove. “Everybody’s hyping up him but what the f–k? I ain’t no punk. I hold the first D’arce in UFC history. I know s–t.”

As Grove alluded to, the 6’6 tall fighter has scored more than his fair share of submission wins during his career. In fact, of his 22 pro victories, nine have come way of tap-out.

“Getting this fight with him woke up my inner jiu-jitsu man,” furthered Grove, who is coming off a stoppage win over Joey Beltran. “So I’ve been training jiu-jitsu for the last seven weeks…I kind of got bit by that jiu-jitsu bug again.”

Bellator 150 will be headlined by a bantamweight bout between bantamweight champ Marcos Galvao and former champ, Eduardo Dantas.

The card will be broadcast on Spike.