Boetsch dominates his way to UFC 130 win over Grove

In his first fight at middleweight, Tim Boetsch put on an impressive performance, beating Kendall Grove in a unanimous decision30-27 on all three judges cards.

Boetsch, a division one wrestler at Lock Haven, used his wrestling skills in the first round to take Grove down and then smother him with ground and pound in the first round. Grove had a hard time generating offense. He tried for an arm bar, but Boetsch shook it off easily.

In the second round, Boetsch stuck with the same script, continually taking Grove down and then controlling his every move. Grove could get to his feet at times, but wasn't able to cause any damage when there.

Grove had no idea how to stop Boetsch's grinding style by the third round. Again and again, Boetsch took Grove down, and then used his weight to wear out Grove. Late in the round, Grove took Boetsch down, but was reversed immediately. Boetsch was in control as the fight ended.

"Phil Davis affirmed my thoughts of moving to middleweight," Boetsch said after the bout. "I'm looking to make a run."

Boetsch was on the wrong side of history in his last bout, as Phil Davis introduced a new submission on him at UFC 123. But his size and strength at this middleweight seem to suit the 29-year-old. This win puts him to 13-5, with five wins in the UFC.

Grove, who won the "Ultimate Fighter" in 2006, has had an up and down career in recent years. This is his second loss in a row, as Demian Maia beat him in a decision in December. Grove's record now stands at 12-9.