What to Watch For: Bellator 162

Alexander Shlemenko has begun the arduous process of trying to rebuild his reputation following a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs. The former Bellator MMA middleweight champion will meet “The Ultimate Fighter 3” winner Kendall Grove in the Bellator 162 main event on Friday at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee. It will mark Shlemenko’s first appearance inside the Bellator cage in more than 20 months.Shlemenko was suspended for three years by the California State Athletic Commission after he failed a post-fight drug screen in wake of his second-round technical knockout against Melvin Manhoef on Feb. 13, 2015. The suspension was later reduced to one year, and the 32-year-old Russian has since fought twice under the M-1 Global banner. “Storm” last competed at M-1 Challenge 68 on June 16, when he submitted Vyacheslav Vasilevsky with a guillotine choke. A devastating and well-rounded finisher, Shlemenko has secured 35 of his 53 career victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission. Grove has gone 11-6 since parting ways with the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2011 and will enter the cage on a modest two-fight winning streak. He last appeared at Bellator 150 on Feb. 26, when he knocked out Francisco France in the second round of their confrontation in Mulvane, Kansas. Wins over Ed Herman, Alan Belcher, Evan Tanner, Goran Reljic, Joe Riggs and Derek Brunson buoy Grove’s resume. With the Shlemenko-Grove battle as the centerpiece, here is what to watch for at Bellator 162:Heavyweight Vacancy The Bellator heavyweight throne sits empty in wake of Vitaly Minakov’s contract dispute, and Bobby Lashley wants the opportunity to fill it. The former World Wrestling Entertainment superstar will …

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