A rematch nearly 10 years in the making headlined
KSW 78 as
Michal
Materla locked horns with
Kendall
Grove.
The emotionally charged second clash between “Cipao” and “Da
Spyder” ended with another victory for Materla (32-9, 21-7 KSW).
Unlike their first fight—a bloody affair that ended with Materla
pocketing a unanimous decision victory at KSW 23 in 2013—the Polish
fighter finished his foe inside the distance this time. 40-year-old
Grove (24-19, 1 NC, 0-3 KSW) made his cage return after a
three-year hiatus but showcased decent condition and performance
for as long as he survived in the 195-pound catchweight affair,
blocking all his foe’s takedown attempts in the opening frame.
Materla’s punching power was the key in the contest as he adopted a
different game plan in Round 2, attacking Grove with punches and
knocking him down. While Grove recovered from the subsequent
assault, Materla kept scoring with his left hand on different
occasions until he dropped Grove once more. On the canvas, Materla
finished the job with a series of punches. Referee Tomasz Bronder
halted the contest at the 4:27 mark of Round 2.