ProElite: Kendall Grove wants to rip Joe Riggs' face off

It isn't often in life that you get a chance to do things over. In the real world, we don't get to take "mulligans." 

Kendall Grove will get that kind of opportunity on Saturday night (Aug. 27, 2011) when he faces off against Joe Riggs, the man who dealt Groves his first professional mixed martial arts (MMA) loss on May 7, 2004.

Speaking of faces, Grove has some very specific plans for his soon-to-be opponent.

"I'd be lying if I said there was no emotion behind the fight. But we're both professionals. We saw each other earlier this week, and we shook hands. Don't get me wrong...when we get in the cage, we're going to rip each other's faces off. But what doesn't make us animals is that little bit of respect we have for each other. It sucks because there's only one winner out of that, but I've been waiting for this fight since that loss. I've been telling my guys this camp that when he fought me before, I was a boy...now I'm a man."

Why so serious?

After his May 28 (2011) loss to Tim Boetsch, "Da Spyder" was cut from Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Grove sees ProElite as a new opportunity for him to change and grow as a fighter.

"It's hard to say that fans are going to see a new Kendall Grove, but I have to make sure they do. I have to get out of this rut I'm in. People have figured me out. So I have to change...it's mandatory. But I have not only changed, I've gotten better and evolved. That's what the fans are going to see Saturday night. When the fans see me fight Saturday, they're going to see someone lay it all on the line. I'm just excited to be back home for a great organization. I get to help build this organization, and what better way to do that than in front of my home crowd?"

Grove's opponent, Riggs, is coming off two straight technical knockout losses at the hands of Jordan Mein and Bryan Baker. His 48 total fights dwarf Grove's mere 22 opportunities. 

On Saturday night, one of these men will emerge victorious and will find themselves in a better career position than they'd been in previously.

Who ya got, Maniacs? Will "Diesel" give fans a replay of the first time he fought Grove in 2004? Or will the hometown Hawaiian be able to get some payback?

Sound off!