MMA-URLS

Michael Bisping Vs. Tim Boetsch Moved Off UFC 148 To Future Card, Possibly UFC 149

It appears that one of the marquees matchups at UFC 148 won't be taking place on that card after all. One of the first bouts announced for the July 7th card was an important middleweight bout between Michael Bisping and Tim Boetsch. But MMA Weekly is reporting that it's getting moved: A middleweight showdown between Michael Bisping and Tim Boetsch has been shifted off the UFC 148 card and will be moved to a future show. Sources close to the fight confirmed the move to MMA Weekly on Monday. The reason for the shift is unknown at this time. According to current rumors, the Bisping vs. Boetsch fight could be rescheduled as early as July 21 as part of the UFC 149 card in Calgary. There could be any number of reasons for this move, from both the promotion's side and one of the fighters. Either way, UFC 148 is still a stacked card and can probably survive the loss of the bout. If it does end up on UFC 149 instead, that will help to shore up the Calgary card a bit. SBN coverage of UFC 148 SBN coverage of UFC 149

Posted in: ufc, card, bisping, michael bisping, boetsch

Yushin Okami vs. Luiz Cane Set for UFC 150

Yushin Okami will return to the Octagon after suffering a tough loss to Tim Boetsch at UFC 144, as the Japanese middleweight will take on Luiz Cane at UFC 150 in August. The event, which was officially announced yesterday, takes place at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado on August 11th. Okami (26-7) will look to rebound from that loss to Boetsch. After winning the first two rounds and seemingly on his way to a decision win, Boetsch came out in the third round and dismantled the former middleweight title contender. Boetsch landed several uppercuts on Okami, knocking out the Japanese native in front of his home nation crowd. This was just his fourth loss in the UFC, and the first ever time he’s suffered consecutive losses during his career. He will take on Luiz Cane (12-4-1), who will be making his middleweight debut. Cane also suffered a tough loss in front of his hometown crowd, as he lost to Stanislav Nedkov at UFC 134 in Rio de Janeiro last August. After winning three of his first career UFC bouts, Cane has now lost three of his last four. UFC 150 is expected to be headlined by the rematch between Benson Henderson and Frankie Edgar for the lightweight title. For complete coverage of UFC 150, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com

Posted in: ufc, loss, boetsch, cane, okami

UFC 148 odds: Michael Bisping opens as sizable favorite over Tim Boetsch

When word leaked that Michael Bisping had been paired up against Tim Boetsch for the UFC 148: "Cruz vs. Faber 3" event set to take place on July 7, 2012, in Las Vegas, Nevada, it came as a surprise to fight fans everywhere. More surprising? The fact that the British bad boy admitted to outright turning down a bout against Cung Le while claiming he felt Boetsch would be a tougher fight than middleweight mauler Mark Munoz. If that's the case, it's not being reflected at the sportsbooks. In fact, according to the latest edition of the MMA Oddsbreakers show, Bisping has been inserted as the sizable favorite at -315 for the Fourth of July weekend clash. Boetsch limps in as the +245 underdog. Anyone think "The Barbarian" isn't getting enough respect here? Boetsch (15-4) is a perfect 3-0 since moving down from the crowded ranks of light heavyweight. After back-to-back decision wins over Kendall Grove at UFC 130 and Nick Ring at UFC 135, "The Barbarian" survived a 10-minute shellacking by former division contender Yushin Okami -- only to storm back and knock "Thunder" out with four ounces of lightning at UFC 144 this past Feb. 25 in Japan. Now it's time for him to conquer Great Britain -- if he can. The oddsmakers don't seem to think so but do you agree? UFC 148 is expected to feature a bantamweight title fight between TUF 15 coaches (and bitter rivals) Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber. A middleweight match-up between Rich Franklin and Cung Le is also booked for the card. For all the latest and greatest UFC 148 news and notes click here.

Posted in: ufc, fight, bisping, tim boetsch, boetsch

Michael Bisping offers up explanation behind choosing Tim Boetsch over Cung Le

Highly-touted middleweight Michael Bisping (22-4) recently saw his hopes for a title-shot go up in smoke after losing a close, semi-controversial decision to Chael Sonnen in late January. However, given the division’s current landscape the brash Brit is confident he can regain his footing as a top contender with a single win, challenging the winner of Sonnen’s summer shot at champion Anderson Silva. The 33-year old’s attempt to collect that crucial victory comes in July when he’ll face Tim Boetsch (15-4) at UFC 148. While it appears “The Count” could have opted for Cung Le, arguably an easier match-up when comparing Le’s recent success to that of Boetsch, Bisping’s eye is planted firmly on the belt rather than padding his record. Bisping Not Impressed by Mark Munoz “Tim Boetsch is coming off a great win over Yushin Okami…it just made more sense and was the more appealing matchup,” explained Bisping during an interview on MMAJunkie Radio. “It’s also a tougher matchup for me. I want to win that next fight and stake a claim to that title shot. I think beating Tim Boetsch rather than Cung Le gives me more grounds to do that.” Boestch has gone 3-0 since dropping down to 185 pounds with success against Kendall Grove, Nick Ring, and most recently Okami. His finish of the latter was particularly memorable based on the comeback nature of it, as Boetsch had clearly lost the first two rounds before battling back in the third. “He’s looked great, and he’s had some good wins. As I said, he had a huge KO of Okami, who was recently the #1 contender. I think that puts him pretty high up there in the rankings, and those are the guys I want to fight,” Bisping concluded. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: bisping, tim boetsch, boetsch, cung, tim

Michael Bisping Unimpressed With Mark Munoz, Excited To Be Fighting Tim Boetsch

Ultimate Fighter winner Michael Bisping has won four of his last five fights, with the lone loss coming to Chael Sonnen in a battle for the No. 1 contender spot in the UFC’s middleweight division. Bisping, who replaced Mark Munoz in the bout with Sonnen, seemed poised to possible meet Munoz in his next fight. However, Tim Boetsch has been tabbed as the next fighter for “The Count.” The two will meet on July 7 at UFC 148. During a recent interview on ESPN’s UFC Podcast, Bisping discussed Munoz, and doesn’t seem very impressed with his abilities inside the Octagon. I have never really looked at Mark Munoz and thought he looked like a particularly dangerous opponent. His ground and pound looks good, his wrestling doesn’t look all that dangerous, his stand up is suspect and he’s got a weak chin. I think Tim Boetsch is probably a harder fight. Boetsch is coming off a knockout victory over Yushin Okami that vaulted him up the middleweight ranks. In Bisping, he will remain fighting the elite in the division, so a win over the Brit could really position him for a title shot in the near future. Photo credit: Esther Lin/MMA Fighting

Posted in: bisping, tim boetsch, boetsch, mark munoz, munoz

Read the full article at MMA Convert

Michael Bisping turned down Cung Le bout, thinks Tim Boetsch is a harder fight than Mark Munoz

Sounds like Joe Rogan wasn't the only one impressed with Tim Boetsch's miracle comeback against Yushin Okami at the UFC 144: "Edgar vs. Henderson" pay-per-view (PPV) event last month. Perennial Middleweight in-the-mix'er Michael Bisping, who fights "The Barbarian" at UFC 148 on July 7 in Las Vegas, also thinks the former Light Heavyweight is one tough dude. And perhaps an even bigger challenge than fellow 185-pound contender Mark Munoz, who may now have the answer as to why he was recently "passed over." "The Count" told ESPN's UFC Podcast (via Telegraph.co.uk) that not only did he turn down a potential fight against Cung Le, who is now paired off against Rich Franklin at the same "Cruz vs. Faber 3" event later this year, but that Boetsch is "probably a harder fight" than the "Philippine Wrecking Machine." Those comments after the jump. "I have never really looked at Mark Munoz and thought he looked like a particularly dangerous opponent. His ground and pound looks good, his wrestling doesn’t look all that dangerous, his stand up is suspect and he’s got a weak chin. I think Tim Boetsch is probably a harder fight." Despite falling to Chael Sonnen by razor-thin unanimous decision at UFC on Fox 2 earlier this year, Bisping has continued to cement himself as one of the division's toughest nuts to crack. "The Count" is 4-1 over his last five contests, including consecutive technical knockout stoppages over Jorge Rivera at UFC 127 and Jason Miller at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 Finale. The Brit, who's never been submitted, has only been stopped once in his career thanks to a well-placed "H-Bomb" way back at UFC 100. Will Bisping be too hard for Boetsch to handle? And do you agree with his comments about Munoz?

Posted in: ufc, fight, bisping, boetsch, munoz

Mark Munoz wanted Michael Bisping, will take title-shot instead

The recently announced match-up between Michael Bisping and Tim Boetsch caught a number of people off-guard with the bout essentially coming of the blue save for some minor lobbying on the part of Boetsch. One of the folks who found himself amongst those who were surprised was UFC middleweight Mark Munoz, a highly-touted challenger who is currently sidelined until the summer due to elbow surgery. As a matter of fact, Munoz though he was in line for a bout with Bisping as a means of determining an uncontested top contender. Instead, “The Count” will now face Boetsch on July 7 at UFC 148. Interestingly enough, that’s the same month Munoz expects to be ready to fight. Details on Munoz’s Elbow Surgery “It was surprising to me. I thought we were on a collision course. I know there are a lot of people in the general public that wanted us to fight,” said Munoz of the failure to match him up with Bisping in an interview with ESPN. “I would have loved to fight Bisping just because he’s a bigger name and I match up well with him. But hey, he’s fighting Boetsch and he’s got his hands full. That’s a real intriguing fight. We’ll see what happens.” With Bisping out of the picture Munoz isn’t certain who he’ll face with most of his peers already booked for fights. With that being the case, “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” says he’ll gladly wait for the winner of Anderson Silva’s planned title-defense against Chael Sonnen in June. “I feel that I deserve a title shot,” explained Munoz. “I feel I’ve done everything I possibly can do to get that shot. That’s what I want to fight for. That’s what I want.” PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: fight, bisping, michael bisping, boetsch, munoz

Mark Munoz vs Michael Bisping? 'The Filipino Wrecking Machine' surprised he was passed over by Tim Boetsch

Everybody wants to be like fight Mike. That includes middleweight mauler Mark Munoz, who has been busy in the training rooms getting back to full strength after getting hurt before his number one contender showdown against Chael Sonnen back at UFC on Fox 2 in January. Michael Bisping took his place that night and ended up dropping a unanimous decision. Now that Munoz is healthy enough to take fight bookings, he naturally assumed he would get first crack at the wounded "Count." But the Brit was instead matched up against Tim Boetsch for the UFC 148 Fourth of July weekend extravaganza. Munoz tells ESPN why he was surprised he didn't get the call: "It was surprising to me. I thought we were on a collision course. I know there are a lot of people in the general public that wanted us to fight. I would have loved to fight Bisping just because he's a bigger name and I match up well with him. But hey, he's fighting Boetsch and he's got his hands full. That's a real intriguing fight. We'll see what happens." Munoz would go on to say that July is his target return month, so it's feasible he could be fighting on the same card as Bisping. But against who? The list of available contenders isn't as long as times past but a match-up against Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Chris Weidman could make sense. He's the one who stepped up to replace Bisping against Demian Maia at UFC on FOX 2, besting his foe via decision on just 11 days notice. At 8-0 and quickly rising up the 185-pound ladder, a win over Munoz could insert the Serra-Longo trained submission specialist into the proverbial "mix." The same can be said for "The Filipino Wrecking Machine." Joe Silva, get on it.

Posted in: fight, bisping, boetsch, he, munoz

Michael Bisping vs. Tim Boetsch, Renan Barao vs. Jeff Hougland Added To UFC 148

Tim Boetsch’s dramatic come-from-behind TKO victory over Yushin Okami at UFC 144 has earned him a shot at another one of the UFC’s top middleweights. The UFC announced today that Boetsch will take on none other than Michael Bisping at UFC 148 in a middleweight fight that could have “major title implications.” In another middleweight matchup, top ten middleweights Tim “The Barbarian” Boetsch and Michael “The Count” Bisping will square off in a battle that could have major implications for the 185 title picture. Many Bisping haters have longed to see him get knocked out again ever since Dan Henderson dropped him like a sack of potatoes at UFC 100. Tim Boetsch certainly has the power to do that, but it definitely won’t come easy if it comes at all. The UFC also announced today that Renan Barao will take on Jeff Hougland in a bantamweight bout on the card. Rich Franklin vs. Cung Le was announced last night. Image via Esther Lin for MMA Fighting

Posted in: ufc, bisping, boetsch, middleweight, tim

Read the full article at MMA Convert

Michael Bisping scheduled for bout with Tim Boetsch at UFC 148

UFC middleweight Michael Bisping will look to bounce back from a somewhat controversial decision loss to Chael Sonnen when he takes to the Octagon this summer at UFC 148. Bisping will face red-hot challenger Tim Boetsch at the July 7 event who will be going for his fourth win in a row. Organization officials confirmed the fight earlier today. The 22-4 Bisping has beaten a number of respected opponents since first bursting on the scene after winning the Ultimate Fighter 3. Among the numerous foes he’s felled inside the Octagon are Jason Miller, Dan Miller, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Chris Leben. “The Count” nearly earned a title-shot against Sonnen in late January but came up short on the scorecards in a fight many fans felt he actually won. Boetsch is no slouch at 185 pounds either, winning all three of his fights since dropping down to the division including an exciting comeback affair against Yushin Okami at UFC 144. He holds an overall record of 15-4 with twelve stoppages and notable success against Nick Ring and Kendall Grove. Boetsch Has Wanted to Fight Bisping for Years UFC 148 will also feature a middleweight match-up between Rich Franklin-Cung Le as well as a title-fight featuring 135-pound ace Dominick Cruz putting his belt on the line against Urijah Faber. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: ufc, fight, bisping, tim boetsch, boetsch

Michael Bisping-Tim Boetsch, Renan Barao-Jeff Hougland Added to UFC 148 Lineup

Fresh off his comeback win over Yushin Okami in February, Tim Boetsch has established plenty of momentum in the UFC’s middleweight division.

Posted in: ufc, yushin okami, michael, boetsch, bispingtim

Bisping vs. Boetsch, Barao vs. Hougland Slated for UFC 148

Two additional fights were added to the UFC 148 fight card today. Middleweights Michael Bisping and Tim Boetsch will face off as well as bantamweight contender Renan Barao and Jeff Hougland. UFC 148 is scheduled to take place on July 7th and will be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Both fights were announced on the UFC's website today. Bisping, 33, and Boetsch, 31, enter this bout from different positions. The UK's Bisping will return to action after dropping a controversial split decision to now number-one contender Chael Sonnen at UFC on Fox 2 in January of this year. Boetsch, by contrast, has won three straight and had the win of his career when he stopped former top contender Yushin Okami in the third round of their bout last month at UFC 144. Barao, 25, looks to continue his unbeaten streak alive this July with what would be his sixth straight win under the Zuffa banner. He most recently won a unanimous decision victory over Scott Jorgensen at UFC 143 last month. Hougland is looking for his second win inside the Octagon since defeating Donny Walker in his UFC debut at UFC 132 in July of 2011. Hougland was originally scheduled to face fellow UFC bantamweight Mike Easton at UFC on Versus 6, but was replaced by Byron Bloodworth after Hougland pulled out of the bout due to injury. UFC 148 will also play host to a middleweight bout between former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin and former Strikeforce middleweight champion Cung Le. UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz is also expected to defend his title in a rematch with former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber.

Posted in: ufc, bout, champion, boetsch, hougland

Tim Boetsch and Michael Bisping will run into each other at UFC 148

The last time we seen Tim Boetsch in the Octagon, he was winning a TKO victory of Yushin Okami in one of the best comebacks of the year so far. Joe Rogan stated live that it was probably the best comeback win that he had ever seen. He rescinded this on Twitter after almost everyone called him out on that statement but that doesn’t take away from the fact that Okami was the biggest scalp of Boetsch’s career so far. Since beating Okami, he has been telling anyone who will listen that he wants to be the man to beat Anderson Silva. Well, he’s not quite Anderson Silva but multiple media sources are now reporting that he has verbally agreed to face Michael Bisping at UFC 148 in Las Vegas. It’s worth noting that since dropping to middleweight, Boetsch is undefeated. Now, I’m pretty sure Boetsch didn’t expect to face Anderson Silva straight away, that would be like a salesman expecting promotion every time he made a sale, but you can’t help imagining that the winner of this bout will face the winner of Sonnen vs Silva II. Still, it just goes to show that if you make enough noise, there is a good chance your cries will be heard. Dana’s already said multiple times that he loves guys coming to him asking for specific fights. Maybe that’s where Tim Sylvia has been going wrong? [Source]

Posted in: silva, anderson silva, tim boetsch, boetsch, doesn ’t

Read the full article at Middle Easy

Bisping vs. Boetsch, Barao vs. Hougland added to UFC 148

Tim Boetsch is about to take another huge step up in competition. UFC officials today confirmed that Boetsch will meet Michael Bisping at UFC 148, which takes place July 7 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and airs live on pay-per-view. Additionally, a bantamweight matchup between Renan Barao and Jeff Hougland has been added to the card.

Posted in: ufc, las vegas, boetsch, renan barao, jeff hougland

Read the full article at MMA Junkie

Michael Bisping vs. Tim Boetsch Booked for UFC 148

It seems “The Barbarian” is getting his wish, as Tim Boetsch is set to face Michael Bisping at UFC 148 in July. After openly campaigning for a matchup with “The Count”, Boetsch will now face Bisping in a middleweight bout to take place on July 7th. Boetsch (15-4) was probably very convincing, likely showing tape of the uppercuts he landed against Yushin Okami at UFC 144 in February. Boetsch earned the biggest win of his career, defeating the former middleweight title contender in the third round after being pummeled throughout the first two rounds. The win continued his winning streak since moving down to middleweight after a loss to Phil Davis at light heavyweight in November 2010. Since the transition, Boetsch has won three straight, with wins over Okami, Nick Ring, and Kendall Grove. The graduate of Lock Haven University has had much more success in his second go-round in the organization, after having gone 2-2 in his first stint. Boetsch will face Bisping (22-4), who is coming off a tough loss against Chael Sonnen at UFC on Fox 2 in January. Prior to that, Bisping had won four consecutive fights, which included wins over Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Yoshihiro Akiyama. The winner of The Ultimate Fighter season 3, Bisping has become the most successful British fighter in UFC history. The outspoken Brit has become a top contender since dropping to middleweight in 2008, but was unsuccessful in earning a title shot against Sonnen earlier this year. UFC 148 takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on July 7th in Las Vegas. The event will be headlined by a bantamweight championship bout between Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber, along with another middleweight matchup between Rich Franklin and Cung Le. For complete coverage of UFC 148, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com

Posted in: ufc, bisping, boetsch, middleweight, july

Michael Bisping Vs. Tim Boetsch Reportedly Added To UFC 148

Another excellent middleweight matchup has apparently been added to UFC 148. Yesterday, it was Rich Franklin vs. Cung Le. Today it's a Brit versus a Barbarian. MMA Weekly has the news: Less than 24 hours after announcing the addition of Rich Franklin vs. Cung Le at UFC 148, UFC officials on Monday confirmed to MMAWeekly.com that Michael Bisping would face Tim Boetsch on the July 7 event in Las Vegas, as well. Bisping (22-4) is coming off a close loss to Chael Sonnen at UFC on Fox 2, a bout that a lot of people thought he won. Boetsch (15-4) picked up the biggest win of his career at UFC 144 with a comeback TKO stoppage of Yushin Okami, and stayed undefeated at 185. Boetsch had been vocal in recent days about wanting to fight Bisping, and it appears that he was granted his wish. The winner of the bout will most likely be in contention for a possible title shot down the road. The card is expected to be main-evented by a UFC bantamweight title bout between Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber. SBN coverage of UFC 148

Posted in: ufc, bout, bisping, boetsch, middleweight matchup

Report: Tim Boetsch vs Michael Bisping in the works for UFC 148 on July 7 in Las Vegas

Ask and you shall receive. Recently relevant Middleweight mauler Tim Boetsch, who's been clamoring for a fight against perennial in-the-mix'er Michael Bisping, is reportedly going to get his wish at the upcoming UFC 148 pay-per-view (PPV) event booked for July 7, 2012 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on July 7 in Las Vegas, Nevada. ESPN.co.uk brought word that verbal agreements were in place earlier today. The bomb-dropping "Barbarian," who was battered across two rounds at UFC 144 by muscular middleweight Yushin Okami, hulked-up prior to the start of the final fame and came out with a show-stopping uppercut, scrambling the brains of the Japanese juggernaut and snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Boetsch has now won three straight as a 185-pounder, and his finish over Okami, a former division number one contender, qualified him for a showdown opposite "The Count." Put up or shut up. More on this 185-pound pairing in just a bit.

Posted in: ufc, division number, boetsch, july, bombdropping barbarian

Tim Boetsch: 'I want to be the guy to take that belt from Anderson Silva'

One thing is clear: Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight jawbreaker Tim Boetsch has an ambitious fight campaign mapped out for 2012. Just days after putting Michael Bisping "on his agenda," Boetsch is already calling for a championship fight against reigning division kingpin Anderson Silva, who is expected to put his strap on the line (again) against Chael Sonnen this June in Brazil. So what qualifies "The Barbarian" for this level of title talk? Probably last month's improbable comeback against Yushin Okami at UFC 144 in Japan. It was a fight that saw the former light heavyweight absorb two rounds of brutal punishment before uncorking a trio of violent uppercuts to finish the Japanese juggernaut. Boetsch makes his case for a "Spider" fight (via Sherdog.com) after the jump. "Chael showed a strong wrestler does well against him. The only thing that Chael failed to do was damage Anderson throughout the fight, and that’s kind of my specialty. I will deliver a high amount of damage from start to finish, and that would make a huge difference in the outcome of the fight. A lot of fighters out there are (scared). They think of him as an invincible superhero. If you’re thinking that way about your opponent, you’ve already lost. I think that’s what happens to a lot of guys. They lose that fight before they even get in the cage with him. I want Anderson to hold onto that belt until I get there. He is obviously a legend in the sport already. That being said, everybody has to lose eventually and I want to be the guy to take that belt from him. That’s been a dream of mine for a long time." Boetsch has now won three straight as a 185-pounder, and his finish over Okami, a former division number one contender, surely puts him in line for bigger and better things. But big enough for a shot at the title? What's the consensus here Maniacs, how many wins does "The Barbarian" need before he can start asking for a crack at the crown? And how impressive does he need to look in the process? Opinions, please.

Posted in: fight, boetsch, thing, anderson, thatrsquo

Tim Boetsch interested in bout with Michael Bisping

After scoring what was arguably the year’s top comeback thus far in beating Yushin Okami at UFC 144, middleweight Tim Boetsch is ready to ride his momentum into a match-up with another highly ranked competitor. Making it even easier for his bosses at the UFC, Boetsch also has an opponent in mind – Michael Bisping. Boetsch made his intentions known in a recent interview where he explained his reasons for calling Bisping out have nothing to do with the brash Brit’s personality but rather where “The Count” stands divisionally. “For some reason, I think Bisping rubs a lot of people the wrong way. That’s not the reason I want to fight him, though,” said Boetsch to MMAJunkie. “I want to fight him because he’s ranked higher than me. I think I can take that from him.” Boetsch Talks New Challenges at 185 Pounds “I think it’s my time. My training is going really well. My body is feeling good. I can still get better, but I’m the best I’ve ever been. I’m ready to make a run,” the 31-year old continued, looking to build on his current three-fight winning streak since dropping down to middleweight. As it turns out, Boetsch is so confident he would even be open to facing Bisping in his proverbial backyard overseas if such was the requirement. “I like it; I like being the underdog. I like going into somebody else’s house and knowing everybody wants the other guy to win. It’s motivating for me. That fires me up and gets me excited,” Boetsch explained. “The Barbarian” holds an overall record of 15-4 and has won seven of his last eight fights with the lone exception including a submission defeat to Phil Davis. Among his past victories are those over Okami, Nick Ring, and Kendall Grove. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: ufc, bisping, boetsch, reason, reason i

After comeback win, UFC's suddenly surging Tim Boetsch targets Michael Bisping

Tim Boetsch is looking to move up, not down, in the UFC's again-competitive middleweight division. However, after scoring a come-from-behind TKO victory over contender and recent title challenger Yushin Okami this past month at UFC 144, Boetsch's options are limited. But he sees one enticing possibility: Michael Bisping.

Posted in: ufc, michael, bisping, boetsch, tim

Read the full article at MMA Junkie

Tim Boetsch: Michael Bisping has been on my agenda

Since dropping from Light Heavyweight to Middleweight, Tim Boetsch has gone on a three fight winning streak defeating Kendall Grove, Nick Ring and most recently Yushin Okami. The victory over Okami was an impressive come from behind win for Boetsch. Okami looked to be on his way to victory when Boetsch came out guns-a-blazing to start the third round, eventually finishing the fight 54 seconds into the round. Following the victory, Boetsch mentioned that he would be interested in facing Dan Henderson,

Posted in: yushin okami, light heavyweight, boetsch, victory, boetsch okami

Read the full article at Low Kick

After Comeback Against Yushin Okami, Tim Boetsch Prefers Quick Win Next Time

Tim Boetsch’s comeback against Yushin Okami at UFC 144 was one of the most rewarding victories of his career.

Posted in: yushin okami, boetsch, tim, okami, yushin

UFC on FX 2 results: Martin Kampmann takes a cue from Tim Boetsch, steals victory from Thiago Alves

Tim Boetsch was five minutes away from losing his first bout since dropping down to Middleweight. Granted, he was facing off against perennial top-ranked 185-pounder Yushin Okami, who had only lost to champion Anderson Silva and number one contender Chael Sonnen, in the past five years. Still, it was surely a hard pill to swallow no matter who good his opponent was. No competitor enjoys defeat. "The Barbarian" had assumedly dropped the first two rounds on the judges' scorecard during the UFC 144 bout and needed to stop the Japanese fighter -- in Okami's home country, no less -- if he was hoping to walk out of the Saitama Super Arena a winner. With nothing to lose, Boetsch came out and blitzed "Thunder," catching him with thunderous uppercuts that dropped Okami to the mat and forced a reprieve from the referee. It was a strategy which goes unused so often by fighters who are behind on the scorecards going into the final round. Defeat is imminent but yet, time after time, fighters continue to play it safe rather than going for broke and swinging for the proverbial fences. It's exactly what Martin Kampmann did last night (Mar. 2) during his bout with Thiago Alves. Busted open and tired, "Hitman" couldn't have liked his chances to pull off a judge's decision. His Brazilian opponent continued to bully him around the Octagon going into the final minutes of the fight and it seemed -- when looking at how fatigued the Dane appeared to be -- like a foregone conclusion "The Pitball" would walk away the victor. But like Boetsch, Kampmann refused to be denied a critical win. And it paid off in spades. Aside from a kick that staggered the Brazilian early into the first round, Kampmann spent most of the bout on the defensive. Eating stiff leg kick after stiff leg kick, the Dane saw his chances of winning the fight dwindle with every tick of the clock. The first round -- thanks to the aforementioned kick -- may have gone to "Hitman" but Alves constantly walking his opponent down and also scoring a takedown added more than enough doubt. The Brazilian began to pull away in the second. It simply didn't appear Kampmann had any answer for Alves' leg kicks and striking combinations. Going into the third and final round, the Dane was showing the wear and tear of fighting the former welterweight title contender. The first four minutes of the final stanza were an exact duplicate of the previous round with Alves picking his opponent apart much like he did against John Howard a little over a year ago. The performances weren't flashy but they were solid and exactly what Alves needed if he ever expected to challenge for Octagon gold again. A right caught Kampmann flush and staggered him against the cage. Alves looked to overwhelm "Hitman" with striking but perhaps feeling the fatigue of fighting a world class 170-pounder himself, he opted to take his opponent to the mat presumably to ride out the final minute in a horizontal base. But Kampmann isn't known to be a quitter. In his welterweight career, he's only been stopped once. He has the heart of a fighter and it showed last night when he swept his opponent and sunk in a guillotine choke with less than one minute remaining in the fight. After Alves' hand tapped against Kampmann's back, "Hitman" stood up and let out a primal yell as blood poured from his face. It was an incredible sight, literally seeing defeat turn into victory in the blink of an eye. Like Boetsch a week prior, he refused to give up, refused to stop fighting. Perhaps their performances will inspire more fighters to throw a little bit more caution to the wind if they find themselves in a two round hole going into the final five minute period. It earned both of them respect from fans and from UFC President Dana White but more importantly, it earned them a win. Boetsch is 3-0 as a middleweight and Kampmann finds himself riding a two-fight win streak and a potential contender for Carlos Condit's interim title should the New Mexico native decide to defend his newly won belt. "Hitman" is, after all, the last man to defeat Condit. Two men minutes away from defeat. Two men who defied the odds and constructed brilliant comeback victories. They're the toast of the mixed martial arts (MMA) town. So why don't more fighters do what Boetsch and Kampmann did?

Posted in: round, boetsch, minute, alve, kampmann

Tim Boetsch asks for Dan Henderson for his next fight

Tim Boetsch delivered the comeback of the night at UFC 144. As the third round began he was staring defeat dead in the eye, but he came out like a man possessed and did exactly what he needed to do to win the fight, knock out his opponent. Yushin Okami had Boetsch right where he wanted him, but Boetsch had enough in the tank to do what every fighters corner tells them to do when they are down two rounds to none, go for the knockout. While it was not the best comeback ever, it was a memorable one, advancing

Posted in: dan henderson, tim boetsch, boetsch, fighters corner, boetsch right

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UFC 144 results: Tim Boetsch wants to fight Dan Henderson next

Joe Rogan hyperbole aside, Tim Boetsch may very well have executed one of the greatest comebacks in MMA history this past Sat., Feb. 25, 2012, when he came back from a two round beatdown to knock out Yushin Okami at UFC 144 in Japan. It marked the third consecutive victory in his new weight class of 185-pounds, each more impressive than the last. So what's next for a 31-year-old "Barbarian" who is just now coming into his own? The first name that popped up in Boetsch's head was Dan Henderson: "Honestly, the name that really pops in my head is Dan Henderson just because they're wondering what to do with him. Dan Henderson has been a hero of mine since I started in this sport. I really admire the guy. He's a great fighter, been at the top for a long time. I think part of taking that step to the next level is beating one of your hero's and for me, that would be Dan Henderson. I think that would be interesting and very exciting." Henderson, of course, is lying in wait for the winner of the Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans light heavyweight championship fight at UFC 145 on April 21 in Atlanta. Passing that up to take a risky fight against Boetsch one weight class lower seems unlikely. Still, it would probably be fun. Hear more from Boetsch on his big win over Okami after the jump.

Posted in: henderson, dan henderson, dan, boetsch, weight class

GIF of Boetsch's Crazy Uppercuts on Okami!

submitted by LittleHoss [link] [4 comments]

Posted in: boetsch, gif, littlehos, uppercut, okami

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UFC 144 Aftermath - Manliness: By Tim "The Barbarian" Boetsch

The first time I saw Tim Boetsch fight was the first time the vast majority of us saw him fight; at UFC 81 Breaking Point he became a last minute replacement to take on UFC veteran David Heath. This was the first UFC card I watched live on PPV because it also happened to be the UFC debut of one Brock Lesnar. I remember three things from that night: Lesnar vs. Mir being the craziest minute and a half of anything I had ever watched, the magic of Minotauro, and holy cow Tim Boetsch is a MAN!!! Boetsch came out looking calm and confident. He sure didn't look like a regional fighter who was intimidated by the bright lights and massive crowd. I could not believe what I saw as he methodically picked David Heath apart utilizing a wide array of strikes including a brutal rear leg push kick that he repeatedly hammered into Heath's midsection. Then, in a flash, Redneck Judo came into my life as Tim grabbed a wilting David Heath and threw him like a lawn dart headfirst into the canvas, swarmed him with punches and got the stoppage win in what is still one of the most impressive debuts in UFC history. A little more than 4 years after that night in 2008, Tim Boetsch stepped into the cage at UFC 144 against the highest ranked opponent of his career in #3 Middleweight Yushin "Thunder" Okami. The world was in need for another dose of absurd, creative brutality and the right man was in the cage. Yushin easily took the first two rounds and when the horn sounded at the end of the second frame it seemed like he was 5 more minutes away from getting back on track. In the corner, Matt Hume told Tim Boestch "Once you catch him you can finish him. You've just got to be super aggressive." Then, Boetsch did the unthinkable: EXACTLY what his trainer told him to do. He stormed the center of the octagon, hurt Okami with a straight right and then unleashed the most brutal uppercuts seen in the UFC since Shane Carwin put Frank Mir to sleep for the Interim Heavyweight Title. These "Jack Johnson Uppercuts" as explained by our own Jack Slack here were as creative as they were devastating and caused Yushin Okami to do a very respectable impression of Rashad Evans' "Stanky Leg" as he crumbled to the floor. It is beyond belief that more fighters don't do this. So many times we see a guy fall behind 2 rounds and then do the exact same thing that lost them the first two rounds in the third. Tim Boetsch was willing to lay it all on the line and do whatever was in his power to win that fight. He was going to finish Yushin Okami or die trying and he pulled off one of the most miraculous comebacks I have ever seen in ANY sport. I don't know how high up the Middleweight ladder "The Barbarian" can climb but what I do know is that Tim Boetsch has given me two of my favorite moments in MMA history. I will never miss one of his fights because there is no telling when he is going to give us another brutal display of manliness.

Posted in: ufc, fight, boetsch, tim, heath

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Tim Boetsch and Mark Hunt Have Earned the Right for Something More

Tim Boetsch's stunning third-round comeback victory over Yushin Okami last night was not the greatest comeback in UFC history. Frankie Edgar over Gray Maynard (II or III) or Frank Shamrock hammerfisting a kneeling Tito Ortiz en route to a TKO stoppage also stand out as a class above what happened at UFC 144. There was also much to like in Mark Hunt's win over Cheick Kongo. But it wasn't entirely surprisingly nor does it move him realistically close to title opportunities. What is true, though, is that both are accomplishing something very legitimate late in their careers. Both desperately wish to compete while they still can. Both are turning in performances that exemplify the athletic courage fight promoters crave. Recognizing they still have limitations, both deserve to be rewarded by the UFC with big, winnable fights. More Coverage: UFC 144 Results | UFC News I'm not suggesting we pretend they are something they are not. Hunt is closer to 40 years of age than he is 30. Boetsch showed clear defensive weaknesses against Okami in the first two rounds of their fight. The success of Boetsch and Hunt is more about making us reconsider what they have left, not proving they are something we never properly recognized. Yet, neither deserves to be cynically dismissed. It would be promotional malpractice to place either in a predicament where they were at the bad end of a stylistic disadvantage. It would equally be a disservice to have them face the division's cream of the crop (Boetsch should get close, however). Whatever the UFC chooses for Hunt and Boetsch, their next fight should satisfy three conditions. First, it should be a fight that's winnable even if they're the underdogs. Second, the fighters should be able to win without having to use skills they've never really possessed. Third, the fight should live at or near the top of whatever card it's on. Why pick these conditions? They make best use of the resources Hunt and Boetsch bring to a fight while being fair to their chances of success. They also won't necessarily wreck the division's order should the unpredictable happen. For Boetsch, he should be given a marquee fight against rising middleweight contender Chris Weidman. Weidman and Boestch are united by their toughness, talent and deserved reputations as risk takers. Weidman proved in his win over Demian Maia at UFC on Fox 2 he might be ready for the best middleweight has to offer, but he's also young enough that a little more seasoning could only help him. For Boetsch, it's a chance to face a top-10 opponent who is a worthy adversary but won't be able to lord physical strength over him (unlike Phil Davis at light heavyweight). Relative to Boetsch, Hunt's future should be closely guided by his ability to deliver exciting action without losing managed expectations about his upside. Pat Barry, Stefan Struve or Travis Browne are all excellent choices as potential opponents. Mark Russow, on the other hand, is not. Hunt is 37 and shoulders no great expectations. His best use on a card is where he can help himself while facing younger contenders willing to strike. Placing Hunt against a submission-savvy wrestler in his mid-thirtees is nothing short of criminal. Where could these fights live? The options are plentiful. A Boetsch-Weidman bout could easily serve as the co-main event of a pay-per-view (even a stacked UFC 146 could be upgraded). If you scoff at that claim, consider UFC 145's Rashad Evans vs. Jon Jones is preceded by Che Mills vs. Rory MacDonald. Hunt vs. any of the aforementioned strikers could be great as a headliner for UFC on Fuel or a co-main event for UFC on FX. Any of those potential bouts is fun enough to get good fight card placement at any type of UFC event, but there isn't great need for them to be on a card of major significance. The most important consideration is that whatever space these fights occupy, they deserve to be of a higher order of magnitude to the treatment Boetsch and Hunt are usually given. When fighters are ignored, dismissed and nearly beaten and manage to persevere, that's a special moment in fight sport. That's especially true in a night where we saw a listless Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson improperly prepared and psychologically distracted. His seeming ambivalence stands in sharp contrast to the delightfully surprising career turnarounds of Boetsch and Hunt. As athletes in their thirties, time is not on their side, but our good will should be. We can honor their achievements, treat them fairly with careful but fair matchmaking and reward the fans without one ideal compromising the other. Boetsch and Hunt proved they were right to not give up on themselves. By hook or by crook, they brought their careers to back to life. Let's be fair to their revivals by giving them a chance to breathe.

Posted in: ufc, fight, hunt, boetsch, comain event

Tim Boetsch and the Jack Johnson Uppercut

Last night, Tim Boetsch came back from being significant outstruck by the rangey jab of the taller, bulkier Yushin Okami. Okami had been utilizing a southpaw jab all night, something which only typically only works for truly great strikers or against pretty mediocre ones. Okami occasionally ate a heavy right hook counter to his continuous jabbing efforts, but things looked grim for Boetsch as Okami started mixing in heavy body kicks. Then, once the Japanese middleweight had stunned Boetsch on the feet and was failing to land through Boetsch's covering up, Okami threw some beautiful hooks to the body. The sign of an intelligent fighter is to take all the free body shots your opponent lets you while he is covering his head (something Kid Yamamoto failed to do when he had Vaughn Lee hurt earlier in the night. Out of seemingly nowhere however, Boetsch stunned the bigger, sharper Okami and proceeded to provide a terrific finish, laying the Japanese fighter out against the fence. While for the most part Boetsch was significantly outstruck, he did show a brilliant infighting technique in finishing the fight. Okami is an amazing fighter when he turns to blanket mode - he can smother his opponents without allowing them to get anything off, and it was this ability to smother an opponent which Boetsch had to navigate his way around while he had Okami wobbling. While Okami tried - like a smart fighter should - to tie his foe up, Boetsch cross-faced Okami and utilized a technique which hasn't been seen much in boxing for many years; the infighting uppercut made famous by Jack Johnson. Jack Johnson was the first black heavyweight champion of the world and an incredibly controversial figure both inside and outside of the ring. He was known as a defensive genius and this was largely due to his ability to tie his opponents up at will and do damage there. As much a wrestler as a pure boxer, he used underhooks, headfighting and bicep control to destroy Jim Jeffries - undefeated heavyweight champion of the world and a man who enlisted Frank Gotch and Farmer Burns as wrestling sparring partners in his camps. Both Johnson and Jeffries understood the value of wrestling to a fighter. Johnson's money punch was an uppercut from infighting range while holding his opponent just as Boetsch did. Notice how Boetsch turns his hips so far that it looks as it he is going to throw it perpendicular to Okami. Now see this nicely posed photograph of Johnson demonstrating his technique for the San Francisco Call during the build up to his fight with Stanley Ketchel. The author feels that this technique, once it is fully recognized will be a powerful weapon for sprawl and brawlers. By turning the hips all the way through as if to throw the punch to someone standing on the opposite side of ones body it is possible to get an incredibly powerful uppercut in a much tighter space than if one were throwing it square on to the opponent. Mark Hunt knocked out Chris Tuchscherer with this same technique in a very short space while Chris was shooting in on him last year. Johnson was an absolute master at these short range, full body uppercuts and it is highly recommended that you watch his videos - the man was dirty boxing in an era of swingers. Johnson was so powerful in the clinch that he often literally held his opponents up when they were about to fall simply so that they didn't get away with an 8 count break from his assault. Here is a video of his destruction of Tommy Burns, Johnson really hits his stride against the Canadian at around the 1:55 mark. Brutal uppercuts from then on. Jack Johnson vs Tommy Burns (1908) (via JKDTaoist) Jack Slack breaks down striking strategy and technique at his websitewww.fightsgoneby.com He can also be found on Twitter @JackSlackMMA

Posted in: technique, johnson, opponent, boetsch, okami

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UFC 144 results: Tim Boetsch now a contender at middleweight after Yushin Okami comeback knockout

Sometimes it's as much a case of where you do it as much as what you're doing in the first place. And for Tim Boetsch, the hard-charging middleweight made a huge statement last night (Sat., Feb. 25, 2012) at UFC 144 against Yushin Okami that will go a long way in a relatively thin division. The UFC's 185-pound class is a weird one. The champion, Anderson Silva, is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, a man so wildly gifted and capable of doing anything that at times his aura itself paralyzes opponents. Witness Silva's hands-down, dare-you-to-swing-at-me visage moments before sending Okami to the showers, or his destructive pair of performances in the 205-pound division against Forrest Griffin and James Irvin. Last August, when I wrote that a Silva vs. Jon Jones showdown would be seriously discussed by the end of 2012, it was based on the mutual trajectories of two great fighters that will ultimately need each other, if for vastly different reasons. Silva will have to accept Jones, who seems poised to inherit the helm as the game's best fighter once "The Spider" retires. There's a lot of drop-off after the champ. The middleweights lack the depth of the lightweights, the scourge of rising young talent at welterweight, the veteran-heavy 205-pounders, and the excitement of the heavies. That's where Boetsch can take advantage. Top contender Chael Sonnen is expected to secure a rematch with Silva sometime this summer, but compared to other beltholders, betting-wise, Silva probably has more 7-1 mismatches at the sportsbook window than in any other champ's top 10. He's put a vast distance between himself and the rest of the weight class, and it doesn't help that three of the best, Luke Rockhold, Jacare Souza and Tim Kennedy, are currently mired in Strikeforce, a certifiable wasteland for the division. That's why Boetsch's comeback K.O. of Okami means a lot more than it would in any other division. It was equal parts inspiring and exciting. Personally, I'm fascinated with how they match Boetsch next. He's 3-0 at middleweight, and seems to have acclimated to the cut quite well since dropping from 205-pounds. A showdown against Mark Munoz would be a natural, because it's a win-win. Both are heavy-handed wrestlers. Boetsch probably has the better chin, Munoz the edge in takedowns, scrambles and ground-and-pound. But win or lose, Boetsch's performance Saturday night showed that with him, it isn't over until it's sure as hell over. That's the kind of guy that can generate some buzz, especially if Silva continues to steamroll title challengers. Jason Probst can be reached at Jason@jasonprobst.com or twitter.com/jasonprobst.

Posted in: silva, division, boetsch, middleweight, okami

UFC 144 results recap: Tim Boetsch vs Yushin Okami fight review and analysis

Of all the crazy fights that happened last night (Feb. 25, 2012) at UFC 144 in Saitama, Japan, only one of them had Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) commentator Joe Rogan marking out like a maniac, and that was the Middleweight match up between Tim Boetsch and Yushin Okami. Okami was coming off a failed attempt at the title and he looked sharp early on, crushing Boetsch over the course of the first two rounds as both Rogan and Goldberg were weaving a nice narrative of his brilliant response to the loss at the hands of Anderson Silva. But then Boetsch had to go and pull off by far the biggest comeback victory of 2012 thus far. So how did "The Barbarian" pull it off? And what happens next for both talented 185-pounders? Follow me after the jump for our Tim Boetsch vs. Yushin Okami UFC 144 post-fight review and analysis: Early on, it was the Yushin Okami show. "Thunder" danced around Boetsch, repeatedly scoring with jabs and straight punches which were not only landing, but they busted up the AMC Pankration fighter's face. Boetsch even admitted that one of the straight jabs even had him feeling woozy for a bit in his post-fight interview. If it wasn't bad enough that Boetsch was outstruck badly in the first round, the second round was even worse as Okami scored an early takedown and pummeled him with ground and pound for the majority of the five minute frame. He had now lost a round both via striking and grappling. While Boetsch did offer a few nice push kicks and front kicks, he wasn't really connecting with anything else and he knew it. Down two rounds to none, he knew he needed a finish, not just to stick to the gameplan and boy did he! "The Barbarian" came out a man possessed at the start of the third round, attacking Okami with a wide variety of strikes which included a beautiful head kick and a large volume of punches coming from different angles. Some of the strikes got through and stunned the former title challenger, and Boetsch poured it on, unloading with a flurry of blows along the fence and then putting a stamp on it by pinning Okami's head with his left hand while dishing out some of the most awkwardly brutal uppercuts of all time. The final uppercut sent Okami reeling to the canvas where Boetsch followed up with some ground and pound before the ref had seen enough. Seeing the first two rounds, you'd have never believed Tim Boetsch was capable of something like that, but thankfully his conditioning held up and he was able to catch Okami napping to score the improbable victory. For Yushin Okami, this loss has to be especially devastating. He was five minutes away from a dominant return performance to the Octagon and putting the loss to Anderson Silva behind him. His striking was better than ever, his grappling was on point and he looked terrific. He just couldn't finish the job. Hopefully, this loss isn't too discouraging as he was doing so many things right for the bout. Depending on how slowly the UFC wants to bring him back, I could see Okami facing anyone from Michael Bispoing, Demian Maia or Aaron Simpson next. For Tim Boetsch, that was exactly what someone needs to do when they're down on the cards. He was the paradigm of showcasing a sense of urgency and coming out with a mindset of "get the finish no matter what." Time and time again, we see fighters who are down on the cards just patiently follow the gameplan thinking things will magically turn around for them. It was refreshing to see someone throw caution to the wind because the gameplan wasn't working. Major props to Boetsch for stepping up when it mattered. With that huge victory, Boetsch has earned himself another top level opponent for his next fight. The timing could work out for him to battle Chris Weidman next. If that doesn't work out, perhaps Mark Munoz or the upcoming winner between Rousimar Palhares and Alan Belcher. It appears for now that "The Barbarian" is here to stay at 185 pounds. So what did you think, Maniacs? Did your jaws collectively hit the floor when Boetsch came out a man possessed in the third round? Where do you rank this fight in terms of best comebacks of all time? Sound off! For complete UFC 144 results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire event as well as immediate post-fight reaction click here, here and here.

Posted in: ufc, round, boetsch, okami, yushin

UFC 144's surprise contender Tim Boetsch looking for another top-level opponent

SAITAMA, Japan - This is the same Tim Boetsch who was unceremoniously dumped after a 2-2 record in his first UFC stint, right? The same guy everyone disregarded following a submission loss to Phil Davis upon his 2010 return? Following a drop to middleweight and a stunning come-from-behind victory over recent title challenger Yushin Okami on Saturday at UFC 144, Boetsch has solidified his surprise content status.

Posted in: ufc, boetsch, phil davis, guy everyone, comefrombehind victory

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Tim Boetsch's Head Kick Set Comeback Over Yushin Okami in Motion

SAITAMA -- UFC middleweight contender Tim Boetsch spoke to MMA Fighting after his dramatic comeback win against Yushin Okami at UFC 144. Boetsch reveals he's never had to come back from that kind of deficit, what his corner told him before answering the bell for round 3,

Posted in: ufc, yushin okami, boetsch, tim, okami

UFC 144 Recap: Shields, Boetsch, Hioki, and Pettis Notch Wins

UFC 144 took place in front of an excited crowd at the Saitama Super Arena Saitama, Japan. Fighters Jake Shields, Tim Boetsch, Hatsu Hioki, and Anthony Pettis all picked up big wins on the PPV card. Be sure to check out our full UFC 144 coverage including play-by-play, bonuses, and recap of the preliminary card. Shields outpoints Akiyama in close fight Despite some beautiful throws in front of his home crowd Saturday night (or Sunday morning locally), Yoshihiro Akiyama was out-pointed by former number one contender Jake Shields. While Shields did not do much damage with his strikes, his activity made up for it against Akiyama. Akiyama hit beautiful throws in both the first and second rounds but his inability to follow up and lack of striking numbers hindered his chances of winning. One reason Akiyama was unable to settle in against Shields was Shields relentless takedown attempts set up off his strikes. With Akiyama being forced to keep his hands busy with blocking Shields, he was unable to attack with them. Shields relentlessness was rewarded in the the third as Akiyama missed a trip and found himself in a precarious position as Shields took his back to end the fight. The win stopped Shields losing streak at two and extended Akiyama’s losing streak to four. Boetsch roars back to steal victory from Okami For two rounds, Yushin Okami did everything right in his dismantling of Tim Boetsch. That however, proved to not be enough against Boetsch as the American left the Japanese crowd stunned with a technical knockout of the hometown fighter. Boetsch entered the third round way behind the scorecards and rather than yield the fight he heeded the advice of corner and laid it all on the line. He stunned Okami in the opening minute of the round and sent the former number one contender reeling with a barrage of powerful strikes that eventually sent the Japanese fighter to the canvas. With the win, Boetsch remained undefeated in the UFC middleweight division. The loss marked the first time in Okami’s career that he has lost two in a row. While Okami looked fantastic the majority of the fight, his letdown in the third left both him and the crowd stunned and disappointed. Hioki puts on grappling clinic against Palaszewski After a disappointing showing in his UFC debut against George Roop, Hatsu Hioki put on an incredible display of MMA as he handled Bart Palaszewski. While the fight was relatively close on their feet, when the fight hit the ground Palaszewski was constantly scrambling to avoid being finished. Hioki made the BJJ blackbelt expend a ton of energy defending submission attempts and superior passing attempts the whole fight. With the win, expect Hioki to likely be named a challenger for UFC featherweight champion Jose Also. Pettis blasts Lauzon In a somewhat fitting moment, Anthony Pettis kicked off (no pun intended) the UFC 144 card with a devastating knockout of Joe Lauzon. Pettis caught Lauzon looking for a legkick and rocked the Brockton fighter unconscious with a wicked headkick. Pettis will likely now go from the opening fight to the main event in his next fight as he is expected to be the next challenger for his WEC 53 opponent, and new UFC lightweight champion, Ben Henderson. Quick Results: MAIN CARD (PPV) Ben Henderson def. Frankie Edgar via unanimous decision (49-46,48-47,49-46) UFC Lightweight Championship Ryan Bader def. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson via unanimous decision (30-27,30-27,30-27) Mark Hunt def. Cheick Kongo via TKO (strikes) at 2:11 of Round 1 Jake Shields defeats Yoshihiro Akiyama via unanimous decision (30-27,30-27,30-27) Tim Boetsch def. Yushin Okami via TKO (strikes) at :54 of Round 3 Hatsu Hioki defeats Bart Palaszewski via unanimous decision (30-27,29-28,29-28) Anthony Pettis def. Joe Lauzon via KO (head kick) at 1:21 of Round 1 PRELIMINARY CARD (FX) Takanori Gomi def. Eiji Mitsuoka via TKO (strikes) at 2:21 of Round 2 Vaughn Lee def. Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto via submission (armbar) at 4:29 of Round 1 Riki Fukuda def. Steve Cantwell via unanimous decision (29-28,30-27,30-27) Chris Cariaso def. Takeya Mizugaki via unanimous decision (29-28,29-28,29-28) (Facebook) Issei Tamura def. Tiequan Zhang via KO (punch) at 0:32 of Round 2

Posted in: fight, shield, round, boetsch, akiyama

Tim Boetsch UFC 144 Post-Fight Interview

Posted in: ufc, interview, boetsch, tim, postfight

UFC 144 Results: Tim Boetsch Completes Extraordinary Comeback

Tim Boetsch got beaten up for two rounds before completing an extraordinary comeback in the final frame.

Posted in: ufc, boetsch, tim, comeback, frame

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UFC 144 results: Tim Boetsch knocks out Yushin Okami in comeback win for the ages

The UFC 144: "Edgar vs. Henderson" pay-per-view event going down tonight (Sat., Feb. 25, 2012) in Saitama, Japan, featured a middleweight contest pitting native son Yushin Okami against the always tough Tim Boetsch. "Thunder," of course, hadn't been seen since he was demoralized by Anderson Silva back at UFC 134 in Aug. 2011. Boetsch came in having settled in quite nicely at 185-pounds with a pair of solid decision victories. He'll never top this performance, though. That's because Boetsch got dominated for the first two rounds of the fight before saying screw it and going all "Barbarian" in the final frame. He landed roughly 25 shots to Okami's chin -- we're talking bombs, folks -- before "Thunder" dropped to the mat helpless. Unbelievable. It was clear from jump street that Okami's vaunted jab was back with a vengeance. It disappeared completely in the Silva fight but made a roaring comeback here, which is good because it gave him near complete control of the fight. Boetsch simply looked lost inside the Octagon with Okami, attempting to utilize head movement to avoid the "Thunder" but his efforts were futile. The first round clearly went to the Japanese superstar. The second saw Okami dominate in a different way. He shot in for a takedown that Boetsch attempted to combat with a guillotine choke. The problem, of course, is that the American expended all his energy going for it. It led to Okami getting out, gaining full mount and dropping bombs to end the round. Only a finish would save "The Barbarian." That's what his corner told him and that's exactly what he went out and did. Instead of laying back and staying patient, Boetsch came out and got his King Kong on with monster punches that landed hard and clean. He literally landed about 28 big shots until Okami dropped to the mat, knocked out. No doubt, this was one of the greatest comebacks in UFC history. Just awesome. Remember, too, to check out our ongoing live coverage of the UFC 144 main card action by clicking here.

Posted in: ufc, boetsch, middleweight contest, okami, bombs folks

UFC 144 Results: Tim Boetsch Stuns Yushin Okami in Dramatic Comeback

Yushin Okami dominated Tim Boetsch for two rounds at UFC 144 on Saturday night. Unfortunately for Okami, it was a three-round fight. In the third, Boetsch delivered a stunning turnaround and pummeled Okami with punches, finishing him on the ground for a dramatic third-round TKO. It was one of the great comeback performances in MMA history, as Boetsch had been completely destroyed for 10 minutes only to win the fight in the third round. It only took Boetsch 54 seconds in the third round to finish the fight. "I knew less than a knockout or finish would win that fight for me," Boetsch said afterward. "Yushin was beating me up for two rounds. But my heart was in it, I knew I could take him out if I just stuck with what I train to do. You see what happens if you do what you train to do." More Coverage: UFC 144 Results | Boetsch vs. Okami Live Blog Okami landed a hard jab in the early first round and as that continued to work, Okami continued to go back to it. The first round was all standing up, and it was all Okami: He landed repeated hard punches that Boetsch couldn't answer, and by the end of the round Boetsch had cuts on both cheeks. At the start of the second round Okami continued to batter Boetsch standing. Eventually Okami went in for a takedown and as they went to the ground Boetsch attempted a guillotine choke, but once Okami pulled his head free he was in a dominant position, and he transitioned to full mount, where he finished the round. It was another clear round for Okami. And then came the third round, in which Boetsch came out on the attack, landed hard punches that had Okami on the run, and then chased Okami down to land more punches, knock him down and finish him off on the ground. It was a brilliant comeback to cap off a great fight.

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UFC 144 Results: Tim Boetsch Upsets Yushin Okami In The Third Round

Tim Boetsch defeats Yushin Okami by TKO. The stoppage came at :54 in the third round. Tim Boetsch landed an early leg kick and straight right hand. Okami with a straight left that landed flush. Tim responded with a high left kick. A beautiful jab from Okami backed Boetsch up. Another and Boetsch put his back against the cage. One of the jabs opened a cut on Tim's cheek. Tim attempted to keep distance with teeps. Boetsch dropped for a takedown but Okami stepped out. Okami's boxing looked incredibly crisp early in the first. Two kicks to the body land for Tim Boetsch as does a leg kick. Okami with a head kick with may be the first time he's gone high with a kick in his UFC career. Boetsch countered with an overhand right but ate a heavy knee to the body as the first round ended. Tim Boetsch's cheeks were both cut as the second round began. Okami landed several straight punches before another heavy kick to the body. Boetsch clinched up but was muscled around the cage by the much stronger Okami. Okami dropped for the takedown but fell into a guillotine. Okami did well to survive allowing Boetsch to burn out his arms. Okami worked to pass to side control and set up a double wrist lock. Okami used the submission to pass to mount and threw punches to an arm triangle attempt. Dominant second round by Yushin Okami. The two fighters clinched to open the final round trading in the clinch. Tim Boetsch pushes forward with kicks and Okami is moving backwards. Boetsch kept the pressure and knocked Yushin Okami out with a ridiculous uppercut. Okami was OUT COLD! This was arguably one of the biggest comebacks in UFC history. It was also a huge upset. Tim Boetsch came back from adversity to steal the win in the final round. SBN coverage of UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson

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UFC 144 Live Blog: Yushin Okami vs. Tim Boetsch Updates

SAITAMA -- This is the UFC 144 live blog for Yushin Okami vs. Tim Boetsch, a middleweight bout on tonight's UFC pay-per-view from the Saitama Super Arena. Okami (26-6) is coming off a loss in a middleweight championship fight against Anderson Silva at UFC 134 last August. Boetsch (14-4) won both his fights last year, claiming decisions over Kendall Grove and Nick Ring. Follow the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC 144 Results | Latest UFC News Round 1: Boetsch paws forward with a jab and front kick. Okami comes back with a sharp left. Good right hand jab from Okami gives Boetsch something to think about. Boetsch tries to reset and Okami knocks him off with another right. Boetsch charges in with right hooks, but Okami avoids them well. Takedown attempt by Boetsch, and Okami shuts it down without much difficulty. Good one-two by Okami batters Boetsch. Okami seems to have a clear edge on the feet so far. Boetsch attacks the body with kicks. Short jab by Okami has Boetsch checking to see if his nose is still there. Boetsch is bleeding from his cheeks and clearly off-balance as the opening round ends. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Okami. Round 2: Round 3:

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UFC 144 fight card: Yushin Okami vs Tim Boetsch prediction, preview and breakdown

Two tough 185-pound fighters with similar styles, Yushin Okami, will tonight (Feb. 25, 2012) collide on the UFC 144 pay-per-view (PPV) main card, which is set to take place from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Don’t expect a standing match here because both are takedown and ground-and-pound specialists. Boetsch’s two wins since dropping to Middleweight have demonstrated that he is increasingly comfortable at the weight, and this is a step into the division’s elite class. Meanwhile, coming off a one-sided thrashing at the hands of division champion Anderson Silva, Okami will look to win the wrestling battle early and wear out "The Barbarian." Boetsch has bigger power and more variety in his strikes, but tends to be somewhat wild in his deliverly, almost as though he were a bar brawler. Okami depends on a very simple diet of one-two combinations – with mostly jabs as spacefinders and a low-risk counter – prior to forcing a clinch and takedown attempts. Follow me after the jump for a complete breakdown of the UFC 144 fight between Yushin Okami vs. Tim Boetsch: The Breakdown Okami’s mental state after the Silva loss might be a consideration. Will he be gun-shy if nailed again? Will Boetsch, -- with a penchant for big bombs in crazy exchanges -- be able to capitalize on Okami’s limited stand up? Okami probably has a slight edge in mixed martial arts (MMA) grappling, and upper-body strength, but Boetsch has career upside in his favor. A fighter's third fight after dropping a weight class usually is when he really starts to put it together, and Boetsch has shown the kind of endurance and persistence to wear down foes in the third round in the two decisions he’s won at middle. That’s a compelling subplot, because grinding down opponents is precisely what Okami depends on to win fights. Fighting in front of his Japanese fans, will Okami feel pressured to be more exciting than normal, which can often backfire? The Pick Okami’s the Jon Fitch of the middleweight division -- a guy with a highly consistent style, not overly exciting, but exceptionally consistent (Johny Hendricks aside). He stuck around 185 and simply kept winning, for the most part, until getting his rematch with Silva, where he was dominated. However, he’s very composed and doesn’t make too many mistakes, and in a dogfight-style grappling match, unless you’re Chael Sonnen, you’re not going to outwrestle the guy. He’ll survive a few early wild exchanges with Boetsch, and get an early takedown to swing the momentum his way. Boetsch is tough and will survive, as Okami doesn’t do too much ground and pound, preferring to keep position and the top spot, but it will be enough to wear down Boetsch over the distance and take a comfortable if somewhat underwhelming decision. Okami via decision Be sure to join MMAmania.com this evening for LIVE, detailed UFC 144 results of all the "Edgar vs. Henderson" pay-per-view (PPV) action. It will include blow-by-blow coverage of the Facebook video stream, FX "Prelims" bouts, and of course, the PPV broadcast. We'll start RIGHT HERE at around 7:30 p.m. ET and carry straight on through early Sunday morning. See you later! Jason Probst can be reached at www.twitter.com/jasonprobst and at jason@jasonprobst.com.

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UFC 144: Yushin Okami Vs. Tim Boetsch Dissection

UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson will stage the return of the UFC's most successful Japanese competitor in middleweight Yushin Okami, who's paired with 205-pound crossover Tim Boetsch. The match up adorns Saturday night's main card offering from the Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo. Yushin Okami (26-6) has slowly permeated into the upper echelon of the world rankings since he set up shop with the UFC back in 2006. Okami paraded in with a lustrous nineteen-fight record highlighted by sixteen wins and fresh off a memorable second-place finish in the Rumble on the Rock 175-pound tournament. Okami advanced in the opening round of the Hawaiian promotion's stacked Grand Prix with a controversial win over current middleweight monarch Anderson Silva. "The Spider" sliced an illegal up-kick from his back and was disqualified when Okami couldn't continue, and future dual-class juggernaut Jake Shields out-hustled Okami via decision to clench the tournament championship. At the time of his promotional debut at UFC 62, Okami's three career defeats were all dealt by reputable, UFC-caliber opposition: Shields, Hawaiian Falaniko Vitale and Red Devil Sport Club's Amar Suloev. Okami's tour of duty in the Octagon is thirteen deep with ten victories. His three UFC losses are of a highly respectable nature as well, as only former champ Rich Franklin and the best two middleweights in the world (Chael Sonnen and Silva in the rematch) have topped him. More UFC 144 Dissections Hioki vs. Palaszewski | Gomi vs. Mitsuoka | Yamamoto vs. Lee | Fukuda vs. Cantwell Mizugaki vs. Cariaso | Zhang vs. Tamura Tim Boetsch (14-4) debuted at UFC 81 as a light-heavyweight who'd only been beaten by Vladimir Matyushenko. "The Barbarian" suggested just another cliché, tough-guy nickname until the barrel-chested Boetsch snorted like an antagonized musk ox, flung David Heath airborne across the cage and bludgeoned him senseless with strikes. Then it made perfect sense. The tastefully uncivilized thrasing was a hit with fans and Boetsch emerged as an appreciated addition. The former Lock Haven University wrestler became a Matt Hume student at AMC Pankration and began his career with six straight stoppages (three subs and TKOs apiece, four in the first frame) before encountering Matyushenko in the IFL. He faced a steep challenge after dusting Heath in the form of a short-notice match with Matt Hamill. He would fall in the second and go on to win one (Michael Patt by first-round clubbing) but lose the following (Jason Brilz, unanimous decision) and receive his walking papers. Racking up two quick stoppages outside the UFC, Boetsch reappeared and split results again (decision win over Todd Browne, submission loss to Phil Davis) but this time declared that he would drop twenty and become a middleweight. Dominant decisions over Kendall Grove and Nick Ring in his last two proved the choice to be a wise one. Gifs and analysis in the full entry. SBN coverage of UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson The patient stalking we see from Okami to the right accounts for the bulk of his strategy. Throughout his half-decade in the Octagon, Okami has whittled his striking into a very simple but effective boxing onslaught. He rolled out a markedly improved set of hands against Lucio Linhares and has been increasingly confident on the feet ever since. This was a landmark evolution for Okami, who was previously defined as a strong Judoka and wrestler with weak-to-mediocre stand up. The end result was not just being a more diverse threat, but it gave Okami the ability to fluidly transition into takedowns and/or tie-ups, whereas he'd forced those initiatives in the past and opponents knew it was coming. In the gif above, Okami throws short, controlled bursts of laser-straight one-twos and uses them to steer Marquardt into the fence before dropping levels for a double. He's been flicking out his long jab regularly and effectively and, after plugging with straight punches, Okami switches it up to the left by leading with a beautiful uppercut. Though it's not the most pronounced variable, Okami is chillingly composed and methodical with his boxing. Drawing on the immovable base from his black belt in Judo, he never gets off-balance and measures his footwork carefully while striking so that he's always poised to defend an incoming takedown or shoot one of his own. If anything, Okami has been a little too calculative in the stand up; at times it seems he could benefit from amping up his aggression, but he's unshakably judicious in his output and strike selection. The following two Judo Chops are imperative reading material on Okami's two core competencies: striking and top-side grappling tactics. They're wonderfully in-depth with an endless amount of gifs but too much so to include here and will serve better as an secondary analysis. Judo Chop: Yushin Okami's Improved Striking Acumen by Kid Nate Judo Chop: Yushin Okami's Library of Guard Attacks by K.J. Gould If you put Tim Boetsch's four career defeats under the microscope, there is a glaring, common theme in each: they were all dealt by beefy wrestlers whom he could not take down. Matyushenko, Hamill, Brilz and Davis all staved off his takedown attempts and either dabbed him up on the feet or put him on his back. Okami is atop the division for excelling with that exact medley of attributes and, on paper, should have the superior level of striking and wrestling. Really, though you'd be hard-pressed to confuse the two in a lineup, Boetsch and Okami have an identical set of goals in a fight, which is to grease the rails for clinching or takedowns with their striking. Both are ridiculously powerful for the weight class and their strength plays a large role, with the salient differences being that Okami is taller (6'2" vs. 5'11") but Boetsch is beefier with a longer reach (74" vs. 72"). Additionally, Boetsch brings an unorthodox Jeet Kune Do base in striking, a traditional D1 wrestling background and the primitive savagery of an angry caveman. In his losses, Boetsch struggled to close distance because he lacked the icy composure and balance that Okami has. He typically barges forward with a wicked array of big punches and looks to maul in the clinch rather than methodically seek ideal openings from ideal positions with technical striking and footwork. Boetsch does have a substantial power advantage on the feet and could catch Okami, but "Thunder" has a strong beard and the more polished and accurate striking. Looking at Okami's defeats, he was finished via TKO by Anderson Silva and way back in 2003 against Suloev, a perilous striker, and out-muscled by athletic fighters (Vitale) or elite grapplers (Sonnen, Shields). Boetsch does fit the bill for the latter two categories. To summarize, it just seems like Okami has a better chance of imposing his will: his movement, footwork and striking are tighter and his clinch game and grappling are more technical and more proven against A-list competition. My Prediction: Yushin Okami by decision. http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/8/24/2379802/ufc-134-rio-judo-chop-yushin-okami-anderson-silva-attacking-guard http://campizonemma.blogspot.com/2010/11/nate-marquardt-vs-yushin-okami-ufc-122.html Poll Yushin Okami vs. Tim Boetsch Okami Boetsch 34 votes | Results

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Tim Boetsch - Who Dares Wins

The time to reflect was only a moment or two. Tim Boetsch had just received the phone call fighters either embrace or dread. Manager Monte Cox was on the phone with a proposition: did he want to fight the last man to challenge for the UFC middleweight title, Yushin Okami, in a UFC 144 bout in Japan?“When I first got the call and Okami’s name came up, I had that moment of ‘holy cow, he just fought for the strap; am I ready to step up to that level?’” recalled Boetsch. “All those thoughts ran through my mind, but before the end of the conversation with Monte, we were like ‘this is the perfect fight for us, and we’re gonna take this guy out and it’s gonna jump us way up the ladder.’” It wasn’t the way Boetsch had pictured things happening for him at 185 pounds, at least not yet. A career-long light heavyweight, the former Lock Haven University wrestler made the move down to middleweight and 2011 and immediately found success, decisioning Kendall Grove and Nick Ring in successive bouts. It was a strong start for “The Barbarian,” but to go from there to fighting the former number one contender was an unexpected gift, and one he was not about to refuse.“I had been thinking I want to take it slow and ease into the middleweight division and work my way up at a slow, steady pace, but when you’re given the opportunity to fight Okami, you definitely should take it,” he said. “And I think it’s an absolutely great matchup for me, and I’m looking forward to taking him out.”Getting the fight and winning the fight are two different things though, and as soon as Boetsch agreed to meet up with “Thunder” at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, he began his crash course in all things Okami, with graduation day scheduled for this Saturday night.“I hadn’t been thinking about him until Monte called and said they were looking for an opponent,” he said. “After I sat down and watched the video real close, it’s a great fight. Okami’s a tough guy, and the one thing that comes to mind is he’s not gonna give up in there. He’s a guy that’s gonna grind out the whole fight and he’s gonna be there bringing his best. He’s not one of these guys you can lean on a little bit and they’ll quit. So it’s gonna be a tough fight, and that’s why I trained so hard. I’m ready to get in there and put it on the line.”Boetsch sounds genuinely excited about the matchup, and after years of paying his dues, it appears that he’s found his home at middleweight. Of course, even though he’s only 31 years old, you have to wonder whether he thinks about what could have been if he made the move earlier. “Not really,” he said. “I think life has a plan and I certainly think being a light heavyweight for the beginning of my career was part of that, and cutting weight is very difficult, so I think had I started making 185 when I first started, I might be getting burned out at this point.”3-3 in the Octagon as a 205er, Boetsch made the call to drop 20 pounds after a 2010 loss to Phil Davis. A little over a year later, it’s like he has a new lease on his career.“That was part of the decision to drop down. In my mind, it would be like a fresh start, and I’ve taken that feeling ever since,” he said. “It’s really been a change, and I feel like a completely different fighter at middleweight than I did at light heavy, and I’m able to do things better. So it’s definitely a fresh start and I consider myself undefeated and I’m looking to keep that streak alive.”He’s also dumped the reckless in-fight habits that hurt his cause early on and also caused coach Matt Hume his share of heartache. Now, Boetsch is making a concerted effort to stick to the gameplan carved out for him at the AMC Pankration gym in Washington, and everyone’s happy.“When you go in there and fight and don’t do the things you trained to do for two or three months, coach definitely gets upset (Laughs), so I want to keep coach happy and do the right things.”As for that gameplan, it’s a simple one.“My gameplan is to finish everybody,” said Boetsch. “That being said, even though I’m sticking to a gameplan and ultimately want to get a ‘W’ in the end, I’m certainly looking to take the guy out early. Against Kendall and Nick, I didn’t finish those guys, but the gameplan was to finish them and just stick to what we trained to do. And if I execute the gameplan properly, I should be finishing guys and not letting fights go to decision. And out of that comes exciting fights. My style is a high-pressure style, and I’m moving forward trying to land big shots, so I think sticking to my gameplan is exciting.”What may be even more exciting for Boetsch though is the reality that a win over Okami will propel him into the ranks of middleweight contenders sooner than most get there. Of course, that reward comes with plenty of risk, and while he’s no stranger to rolling the dice, with his 2007 IFL bout against Vladimir Matyushenko (one taken on three days’ notice) being a prime example, is there any resistance from his wife Jade when he takes on assignments like this?“She’s used to me, and her dad (longtime coach and former wrestler Wade Fatool) is a lot like me as far as thinking he’s the toughest guy in the world (Laughs), and I’m pretty sure he is one of the toughest guys in the world, so I really lucked out with my wife and she kind of expects that type of mentality and behavior out of the men in her life, I guess.”Guess that answers that, but in all seriousness, Boetsch knows that he’s in a sport where who dares wins, and despite the odds, he’s daring to be great this weekend in Japan.“For me personally, it’s just the challenge,” he said. “I’ve been the underdog in a lot of fights, and I never feel that way. I don’t take a fight unless I know I’m gonna win. And I’ve never backed down from any fight.”

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UFC 144 Preview: Yoshihiro Akiyama/Jake Shields and Yushin Okami/Tim Boetsch

MMAFrenzy kicks off our main card coverage of UFC 144 with a pair of breakdowns of Saturday’s card. Each day we will breakdown a pair of fights leading up to our breakdown of the UFC lightweight title fight between Ben Henderson and champion Frankie Edgar. Today we take a look at a pair of fights with Yoshihiro Akiyama versus Jake Shields and Yushin Okami versus Tim Boetsch. MMAFrenzy’s coverage of UFC 144 will begin with the Facebook and FX broadcast preliminary fights. Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy for complete coverage of UFC 144. Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Jake Shields Keys for Akyiama (Bryan Robison) - Akiyama has had quite a tough slate during his UFC career, facing four top middleweight contenders in the last two and a half years. While he did put on three “Fight of the Night” performances, he ended up on the losing end in two of those. The caliber of opponent gets no easier when facing Jake Shields. But fortunately for Akiyama, he does not have to worry about being punched in the face a thousand times like he faced when taking on Vitor Belfort. With Shields, the longer the fight stays standing, the better Akiyama is served. After years of winning outside of the UFC, and eventually fighting for the UFC welterweight title, Shields striking is still very rudimentary. Akiyama can take advantage of that, with a strong striking pedigree that includes 5 knockouts during his career. Plus, with a world-class Judo background, can take Shields to the ground and overpower the American. As long he stays off his back, Akiyama stands a strong chance in his welterweight debut. Keys for Shields (CL) – Shields is coming off one of the hardest losses of his career. Shields was knocked out cold for the first time in his career and lost two fights in a row for the first time in his career as well. Shields entered his fight with Jake Ellenberger with a heavy heart, due to his dad’s death, and no matter what he said it affected his training. Shields has taken some time to grieve now and is now looking to return to his winning ways, and improve on his 1-1-1 all-time record in Japan. The best way for Shields to do this is by drawing the fight out as long as possible. Akiyama has never been known for his endurance whereas Shields is known for being a workhorse. A big part of this fight will be the grappling game, and Akiyama is known as a particularly slick grappler. A judoka’s main grappling strength lies in the clinch, and generally, it’s a good idea to avoid all grappling with a good judoka. With that said, if you drop low on a low single, most judokas are generally out of their comfort zone. If Shields can set this up, he can use his impressive top game to control Akiyama and generally frustrate the Japanese fighter on his home turf. While Shields is not the best striker, he has been working on his striking game. Akiyama has a brawling style of striking that uses wild power strikes as its weapon of choice. A great answer to this style is a solid jab. Shields has to be careful however, since his usual jab is a pawing open-handed jab and eye pokes could end the fight in a bad way. That said, if Shields can stifle Akiyama’s wild strikes it will only improve his chances of winning. Yushin Okami vs. Tim Boetsch Keys for Boetsch (CL) - For whatever reason, the weight cut to middleweight has seemed to make Boetsch a smarter fighter. Boetsch now uses his usual powerful striking to set up some powerful wrestling and ground control. Okami is better at the Boetsch’s strengths but Boetsch is very aggressive and that aggressiveness can pay huge dividends if he uses it the proper way. Boetsch has to resist making the mistakes that Mark Munoz made in his fight with Okami. Boetsch cannot just rush in and desparately shoot for takedown after takedown. Instead, he must use his striking to work inside of Okami’s range and set up the takedown attempts by standing in the pocket and then dropping to a shot. If he can do that, expect Boetsch to have his hand raised in Saitama. Keys for Okami (BR) - For Okami, who returns to the cage for the first time since losing to Anderson Silva last August, he could not be facing a more different opponent this time around than in Tim Boetsch. Okami, who is overpowering in the clinch and looks to take the fight to the ground. He fights Boetsch, who is…overpowering in the clinch and looks to take the fight to the ground. So for Okami, who holds an advantage in striking, he will be able to utilize his quick and forceful jab, along with setting up his takedowns. He certainly will not be able to take Boetsch down at will, but he has faced many opponents over the last few years that have strong wrestling, and he has come out on the winning side most of the time.

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UFC 144 fight card: Yushin Okami vs Tim Boetsch preview

Two middleweights going in completely different directions will meet this Saturday night (Feb. 25, 2012) at the Saitama Super Arena when recent title challenger Yushin Okami takes on Tim Boetsch on the main card of UFC 144 in Saitama, Japan.Okami finally earned his long-awaited title shot last August, although he fell short in a big way against Anderson Silva. He's never lost two straight in his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) career and he's hoping to keep that tradition alive when he steps in against the very powerful Boetsch. Boetsch is undefeated in the UFC ever since dropping down to middleweight. The burly brawler possesses some of the most powerful throws in the middleweight division and he's really starting to come into his own. He's hoping to become a key player in the division if he can slip past "Thunder." Will Okami bring the heat in bouncing back from his recent championship defeat? Can "The Barbarian" enter hostile territory and conquer Okami on his home turf? How does each man win on Saturday night? Find out inside: Yushin Okami Record: 26-6 overall, 10-3 in the UFC Key Wins: Mark Munoz (UFC on Versus 2), Nate Marquardt (UFC 122), Alan Belcher (UFC 62) Key Losses: Anderson Silva (UFC 134), Chael Sonnen (UFC 104), Rich Franklin (UFC 72) How he got here: With a strong history in wrestling, Yushin Okami began his career competing primarily in Japan, where he made appearances with the Pride, Pancrase and GCM promotions. His most notable early career appearance was during the infamous Rumble on the Rock event where he was struck by Anderson Silva with an illegal blow to win via disqualification. He would lose in the next round to Jake Shields, but undeterred, he won his next two fights which earned him an invite to the UFC, where he defeated Alan Belcher via unanimous decision in his promotion debut. While in the UFC, Okami was always doing just enough to be in the talks for title contention, but never quite getting over the top of the hill and get his shot. He didn't exactly have the most fan-friendly fighting style with his wrestling, top control and more pressure-based striking attack in the stand-up. At UFC 72, he had a four fight promotional win streak snapped by Rich Franklin which would have given him a title shot. After another three fight winning streak, he would be derailed once more by Chael Sonnen at UFC 104. The Japanese grinder would move to Team Quest after the Sonnen defeat and put together another solid three fight winning streak, this time knocking off top middleweights Mark Munoz and Nate Marquardt to finally capture his title shot. Unfortunately, the rematch with Anderson Silva did not go very well as Okami was humiliated by "The Spider" via second round technical knockout in a bout he was not competitive in whatsoever. He'll be hoping to get back on track by taking on the upstart Tim Boetsch this Saturday night in his native Japan. How he gets it done: Okami has some crisp boxing and some terrific top control-based takedowns. I think the biggest advantage he has in this fight is his punching in the stand-up and his speed. While he wasn't able to get anything going in the striking department against Anderson Silva, Tim Boetsch is about as far away from Silva as you can get. Expect Okami to have a huge speed disparity in this fight and if he can keep some constant movement going, whether it's changes in direction or constant circling, he can really work some angles and land nice punches in the stand-up at will. While it's not where he has the biggest strength in this fight, I wouldn't be surprised to see Okami get inside and test himself against Boetsch's wrestling and judo skills. He'll be fighting in front of his home crowd and will likely want to showcase his entire offensive arsenal in this fight. If he can put Boetsch on his back, he has the skills to keep him there. Primarily, though, I'd like to see Okami utilize his superior boxing and pepper away at Boetsch with with a large volume of sharp jabs and crosses. Tim Boetsch Record: 14-4 overall, 5-3 in the UFC Key Wins: Kendall Grove (UFC 130), Nick Ring (UFC 123), David Heath (UFC 81) Key Losses: Phil Davis (UFC 123), Jason Brilz (UFC 96), Matt Hamill (UFC Fight Night 13) How he got here: A natural athlete, Tim Boetsch tore through the local scene in New Jersey to start out his career before earning the opportunity of a lifetime when he stepped in on three days' notice to fight Vladimir Matyushenko at an IFL event East Rutherford. He would lose a decision to "The Janitory," but it proved that he could hang with the big boys. Just five months later, "The Barbarian" was making his UFC debut against David Heath where he proceeded to lay a beatdown on the veteran, finishing him off with a series of knees and one of the most violent tosses you'll ever see, which won over a wide margin of MMA fans. Perhaps thrown into the deep end too quickly, Boetsch would go 2-2 in his first UFC stint, losing to both Matt Hamill and Jason Brilz, but it would only take him one year away from the promotion where he stopped all three of his opponents to earn another invite. He went 1-1 at light heavyweight, but was overpowered by Phil Davis, which convinced him to make the cut to 185 pounds. Since dropping down, Boetsch has won consecutive decisions over the likes of Kendall Grove and Nick Ring to go on the first UFC winning streak of his young career. The AMC Pankration fighter is going to find out exactly what he's made of this Saturday night when he takes on former title challenger Yushin Okami. How he gets it done: Tim Boetsch is not the fastest fighter out there, but he might be one of the strongest middleweights in the UFC. To take advantage of that, he needs to close the distance and get inside against Okami. If he can get inside, he possesses some powerful knees and his clinch is very dangerous, as we've seen him toss multiple people across the Octagon in his UFC career thus far. "The Barbarian" has some tricky judo attacks which can come from strange angles and catch his opponents off guard. If he can't get inside immediately, don't be surprised to see Boetsch throw some nice push or front kicks as he can really snap his lead leg out there surprisingly quickly. The most important thing for Boetsh is to get inside and try to dump Okami on his back. If he can do that and keep him there, he might be strong enough to take a decision victory, although it sure as hell won't be easy. Fight X-Factor: The biggest factor for this fight has to be Okami's confidence. He finally got his title shot last August and he got completely destroyed by Anderson Silva in such a dominant way that he looked like he didn't belong in the same arena as the champion. That's got to do some serious damage to someone psychologically. If Okami is still shell-shocked from that loss, it could create a perfect opportunity for Boetsch to swoop in and pull off a tremendous upset. "Thunder" is a great fighter, but it's not easy to get back into the cage with the same level of confidence you once had after such a humbling defeat. How he handles it will be a very telling sign in how this fight plays out. Bottom Line: This fight could go in all sorts of directions. Okami has showcased some better overall boxing skills ever since transitioning over to Team Quest so he is slightly more exciting in the stand-up department, but he's never going to be the kind of fighter that most fans buy pay-per-views to see compete. Tim Boetsch is capable of random spurts of amazing, as evidenced by some of his finishes or his throws, but he's also been a much more cautious fighter since dropping down to 185 pounds and his fights haven't been the most exciting ever. I'd say it's about 50/50 that this fight ends up being entertaining and that's being generous. Who will come out on top at UFC 144? Tell us your predictions in the comments below! Poll Which top middleweight will be victorious on Saturday night at UFC 144 in Japan? Yushin Okami Tim Boetsch 3 votes | Results

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Tim Boetsch: Strength Will Be a Factor Against Yushin Okami

Tim Boetsch didn’t hesitate to accept the UFC’s offer to match him against Yushin Okami at UFC 144.

Posted in: ufc, yushin okami, boetsch, tim, okami

Tim Boetsch: I'm Going to Smash Yushin Okami

For the first time since December 16th, 2000, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will return to the birthplace of mixed martial arts for UFC 144. In one of seven main card bouts, Tim Boetsch (14-4) will meet Japan's own Yushin Okami (26-6) for a middleweight showdown.

Posted in: boetsch, tim, art, okami, yushin

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Yushin Okami vs. Tim Boetsch On Tap for UFC 144 in Japan

Yesterday came word of a top Japanese fighter getting his place on the UFC 144 card in Japan. Today, another one was booked for the card, and he's going to be facing a Barbarian on February 26th. UFC.com with the info: Middleweight contender Yushin Okami will get a home game in his first bout since his UFC 134 clash with Anderson Silva when he takes on Tim Boetsch in UFC 144 action on February 26th. "Undefeated since dropping down to middleweight, Tim ‘The Barbarian’ Boetsch has verbally agreed to face top three ranked Yushin ‘Thunder’ Okami February 26th in Tokyo, Japan," said UFC President Dana White. Okami will fight in Japan for the first time in almost six years when he steps into the octagon to face Boetch. His last fight on home soil was a TKO win over Izuru Takeuchi in June of 2006, the fight before he signed with the UFC. Okami is currently training in Japan with a litany of top fighters including Dong Hyun Kim, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Tatsuya Kawajiri. Boetsch dropped to middleweight after a lopsided loss to Phil Davis at UFC 123 and has looked quite impressive so far. He thoroughly beat down both Kendall Grove and Nick Ring to take unanimous decisions in both bouts. This is a gigantic step up in competition for The Barbarian though. The card will be headlined by a UFC lightweight title fight between Frankie Edgar and Ben Henderson. More SBN coverage of UFC 144

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UFC 144: Yushin Okami vs Tim Boetsch booked for Feb. 26 in Japan

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has announced a blockbuster middleweight match-up for its return to Japan, pitting former division number one contender Yushin Okami against the new-look Tim Boetsch in "Thunder's" homecoming fight. From UFC.com: "Undefeated since dropping down to middleweight, Tim ‘The Barbarian’ Boetsch has verbally agreed to face top three ranked Yushin ‘Thunder’ Okami February 26th in Tokyo, Japan," said UFC President Dana White. UFC 144, which takes place on Feb. 26, 2012, in Japan's Saitama Super Arena, is expected to air stateside on Saturday night (Feb. 25) in its usual pay-per-view time slot due to the difference in time zones. Okami (26-6) was kicked out of "Rio" after getting the lights dimmed by reigning division champion Anderson Silva in the main event of UFC 134 back in August. The loss snapped a three-fight winning streak for the Kanagawa crusher, who is 10-3 inside the Octagon with his only defeats coming to Silva, Chael Sonnen and Rich Franklin. Will he be able to deal with the new-and-improved "Barbarian?" Boetsch (14-4) was cranked and spanked by 205-pound phenom Phil Davis in November 2010, prompting the rough-and-tumble New Englander to shed some excess skin and try his luck at middleweight. The results thus far, have been stellar. He's already disposed of Kendall Grove and Nick Ring to cap off a perfect 2011 fight campaign and a decisive win over Okami could go a long way towards getting him "in the mix." UFC 144 is expected to be headlined by a 155-pound title fight featuring Ben Henderson, fresh off his unanimous decision win over Clay Guida, taking on reigning lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. In addition, Jake Shields returns to action against Yoshihiro Akiyama. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for future updates to this still-developing fight card.

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Yushin Okami vs. Tim Boetsch Announced For UFC 144 In Japan

Anderson Silva’s most recent title challenger, Yushin Okami, will return to action next February when the UFC invades Japan. The UFC announced today that Okami will take on Tim Boetsch at UFC 144. “Undefeated since dropping down to middleweight, Tim ‘The Barbarian’ Boetsch has verbally agreed to face top three ranked Yushin ‘Thunder’ Okami February 26th in Tokyo, Japan,” said UFC President Dana White. Boetsch is on a two-fight win streak, but his wins have come against Kendall Grove and Nick Ring while Okami is 2-1 against the division’s upper crust in his last three outings. If it wasn’t already a tough enough fight for Boetsch, he’ll be meeting Okami on his home turf. At least Boetsch can take solace in the fact that the Japanese fans are quiet and peaceful unlike the wild and crazy crowds down in Brazil. Image for Sherdog

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Okami Draws Boetsch, Home Field Advantage for UFC 144

Yushin Okami will fight on Japanese soil for the first time since 2006 when he squares off against Tim Boetsch at UFC 144, promotion officials announced Tuesday.

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Yushin Okami to Face Tim Boetsch at UFC 144 in Japan

Just one day after the first local star (Yoshihiro Akiyama) was added to the UFC’s return to Japan, UFC officials announced today that another native will be coming home for UFC 144 in February, as former middleweight title challenger Yushin Okami will look to return to contention against Tim Boetsch. Okami (26-6) lost in his most recent bout, succumbing to strikes from middleweight champion Anderson Silva in their rematch at UFC 134 in August. Prior to that defeat, Okami won his previous three fights, and six of his last seven. He last fought in Japan in June 2006, his last match before joining the UFC. Tim Boetsch (12-4) made his middleweight debut in May at UFC 130, and has not lost since. He defeated Kendall Grove at that event, then went on to hand Nick Ring his first career loss at UFC 135 in September. Boetsch has four career losses, all to top opponents including Phil Davis, Matt Hammil, and Vladimir Matyushenko. All four of those losses were at light heavyweight. This will be the first fight outside of the United States for Boetsch, and the third straight fight outside of the country for Okami. UFC 144 will take place on February 26th in Saitama, Japan, and air live in the United States on the 25th. The main event will feature UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson and also includes Yoshihiro Akiyama taking on Jake Shields. For complete coverage of UFC 144, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.

Posted in: ufc, loss, boetsch, japan, okami

Yushin Okami to Face Tim Boetsch at UFC 144 in Japan

Filed under: UFC, NewsYushin Okami will take on Tim Boetsch in a middleweight bout at UFC 144 on Feb. 26, 2012 in Japan, UFC president Dana White said Tuesday on UFC.com. Okami (26-6), who is coming off a failed attempt in August to dethrone Anderson Silva, will be fighting in Japan for the first time since June 2006. Two months after the GCM fight in Tokyo, Okami joined the UFC and went on to compile a 10-3 record. Boetsch (14-4) out of AMC Pankration has reinvented himself as a middleweight this year, scoring wins over Kendall Grove and Nick Ring. The last time the UFC presented an event in Japan was back at UFC 29 in December 2000. In championship action at UFC 144, Frankie Edgar will defend his lightweight title against Ben Henderson. Yoshihiro Akiyama will also appear on the card, making his welterweight debut against Jake Shields. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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UFC 135 Results: The Redneck Judo Chop of Tim Boetsch

This post is by the Bloody Elbow Grappling Coverage Team. The introduction was written by KJ Gould, and the analysis by Dan Pedersen. While fans watching UFC 135 at home or live and in attendance had to suffer through 2 heavyweight fights that went to a plodding, gasping decision on the main Pay Per View card the highlights outside of Jon Jones' successful title defense, the return of Josh Koscheck and the continuing rise of Nate Diaz happened on the free to view prelimnary card. In particular a fight that got fans buzzing was the Tim Boetsch vs Nick Ring fight that saw Boetsch come from a losing first round to a dominant second and third. Boetsch had few highlights when he fought and often lost in the UFC Light Heavyweight division save for a rag-dolling of David Heath that was so brutal and wild fans gave his style of fighting the nickname of Redneck Judo. Seeing a resurgence at Middle Weight Boetsch put some more of his Barbarian moves on display against Ring, though his technique now more refined to go along with his balance and core strength. His best move? A whizzer into a throw Joe Rogan incorrectly called an Uchi Mata that had many since believe it was a Harai Goshi, but as Bloody Elbow's resident Judo Nerd Dan Pederson will explain it wasn't that either. To find out what the throw was as well as a look at Boetch's other throws and trips during the fight, join us after the jump as Dan Pederson shares with us his analysis illustrated as always by animated gifs. Gifs by BE reader Grappo. This fight wasn't just determined by Boetsch's heavy hands and judo throws. He owes a great debt to Nick Ring -- more specifically Ring's posture, a holdover from his days as a kickboxer. 3:10 LEFT IN ROUND 2: After a lot of running and dancing by Nick Ring, Boetsch finally manages to chase him down and clip him. Stunned, Ring drops his level and shoots in, ultimately initiating a clinch against the cage. Nick Ring has double underhooks and stands up tall, while Boetsch keeps his head low and his hips back to stay heavy. Ring fires two knees, then drops his posture briefly to drive in for a possible takedown. Ring then throws himself totally upright -- with no regard for his own balance or posture -- and throws the third knee. Boetsch sees it coming and manages to grab an underhook on the leg. Because Ring is so upright and off-balance when the leg is caught he can't maneuver to defend and it's easy work for Boetsch to sweep the remaining leg out from underneath him. 0:14 LEFT IN ROUND 2: More clinch work, this time in the center of the cage. Nick is either tired or thinking like a striker again because his posture goes from heavy and defensive to totally upright. This brings his hips closer to Boetsch. Boetsch feels Ring's posture change and turns slightly, angling off to the left. Ring needs to drop his hips and turn back into Boetsch and face him but he doesn't seem to recognize the movement and makes no effort to defend. Boetsch capitalizes on the mental error and upright posture of Nick Ring and sweeps out his lead leg with an O Soto Gari. MMA fans may remember Jon Jones throwing Matt Hamill -- and dislocating his shoulder -- with the same basic setup. ROUND 3: After repeated success with throws Boetsch is now openly reaching out and grabbing for the clinch in his efforts to chase Nick Ring down. Ring is doing his best to circle away and create distance but by the third round his gas tank is fading and Boetsch is finding more opportunities to connect. 1:11 LEFT IN ROUND 3: Boetsch throws a hard straight right at an exhausted Nick Ring who ducks it but gets his own head caught in the Muay Thai plum. Ring reacts by standing upright but he gets doubled over by a knee to the gut anyway. At this point Ring is dead on his feet and trying to survive. He turns his body slightly away and forces his posture back upright, assuming his underhook under Boetsch's right armpit is keeping him safe. Boetsch capitalizes on the opening by locking down on an overhook and attacking with a violent O Guruma. (Gif by Zombie Prophet) A lot of people have been claiming the throw was a Harai Goshi. You could certainly make an argument for it but I disagree, and I'll explain why. Harai Goshi is normally done against an opponent whose posture has already been broken down and forward. It is executed by entering the opponent's space deeply with your hips-partially blocking his own hips, similar to an O Goshi -- the standard judo-class-day-one hip toss. Like O Goshi, you pull the opponent onto your hips but unlike O Goshi you only lift them enough to cause their legs to 'float'. At the floating moment you sweep the opponent's outside thigh from underneath him. Typically in the clinch you are keeping your upper body tight to his the whole way through the throw. O Guruma looks similar to Harai Goshi but feels totally different. First, it's thrown against an opponent who is standing tall, straight up-and-down, just like Nick Ring. Also instead of staying tight to your opponent you begin the throw from a bit further out and dramatically throw your own upper body out and down in a sort of circular orbit. Simultaneously your attacking leg shoots across both of his legs -- high, almost across his stomach -- to block him from advancing. The violent rotation of your own body yanks him forward but your attacking leg stops his own legs from being able to step forward or regain balance and he goes over head first. The exaggerated circular movement also gives the throw its name, 'Major Wheel'. Harai Goshi and O Guruma will often look similar but they feel drastically different. Being thrown by a Harai Goshi ... it feels a bit like falling out of a hammock sideways. O Guruma feels more like you were running in the dark and suddenly tripped face-first. Over a low fence. A low fence on the edge of a cliff. It's a terrifying ride and the landing is often much harder.

Posted in: nick, leg, boetsch, ring, goshi

UFC 135 Video: Tim Boetsch Finding a Home at Middleweight

Tim Boetsch scored the second victory of his career at 185 pounds at UFC 135 on Saturday night. After dispatching of Nick Ring, Boetsch is making a home for himself at middleweight.

Posted in: ufc, saturday night, tim boetsch, boetsch, nick ring

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Tim Boetsch Excited About 'Fresh Start'

Filed under: MMA Videos, UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, VideosDENVER -- MMA Fighting caught up with Tim Boetsch after his unanimous decision win over Nick Ring at UFC 135. Boetsch discussed his second fight at middleweight, his game plan and his specialty, the hip toss. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: mma, tim boetsch, boetsch, nbsp ;permalink, nick ring

UFC 135 Results: Tim Boetsch and Tony Ferguson Collect Wins on Spike TV Prelims

Tony Ferguson and Tim Boetsch perfomed well on the Spike TV prelims and collected wins in Denver. Read here to see how the fights went down.

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UFC 135 results: Spike TV 'Prelims' fights feature wins for Tim Boetsch, Anthony Ferguson

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) just completed the Spike TV under card fights for "Jones vs. Rampage" tonight (Sept. 24, 2011) at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. After an action-packed bunch of preliminary bouts streamed live on Facebook, the under card fights for UFC 135 continued over on Spike TV. In a match up between a veteran fighter and an alum from The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) looking to make a name for himself, lightweights Aaron Riley and Tony Ferguson kicked off the Spike TV "Prelims" special. Riley looked to prove he was no "gatekeeper," while Ferguson attempted to prove he is more than just a reality television star and should be taken seriously. Only one of them got their way. Ferguson brought a significant seven-inch reach advantage into this fight. He also brought a power advantage. It's tough to measure power, but if you tried to, you may want to use Aaron Riley's face a gauge. Riley felt Ferguson's power early and often. For five long minutes, Riley tried his best was to no avail in his quest to avoid Ferguson's many punches and kicks. The human jaw can only take so much punishment. After the first round, Riley's cornerman, Greg Jackson, threw in the proverbial white towel when Riley revealed to him that his jaw was definitely broken. Order that man a milkshake and some pain medicine. "El Cucuy" is definitely here to stay in the UFC's lightweight division. In the first Spike TV prelim offering of the night, another former TUF participant, Nick Ring, squared off against Tim Boetsch, who seemed to have found a nice home for himself at the 185-pound division after a nice win over Kendall Grove at UFC 130 on May 28. You would have expected Boetsch to have a decided wrestling advantage in this one. You'd have been wrong. At least for the first two rounds. The majority of the first two rounds were spent with Ring eluding Boetsch's strike attempts, landing some good takedowns and working to try and secure a choke or other finish. With about one minute left, Ring appeared to be hurt by a well placed strike from Boetsch, causing him to stagger around for the remainder of the round. Boetsch very nearly was able to finish Ring, but ran out of time. In the third round, both fighters looked tired, causing a good deal of clinching and inactivity for the first two minutes. The "Mile High City" seemed to have been taking a toll on both fighters and their respective oxygen supplies. With one minute left, Boetsch scored a violent takedown, throwing Ring to the mat. Boetsch was, then, able to use his position and batter Ring for the remainder of the round. Though he didn't get a strong start in this one, Boetsch finished well and earned a nice unanimous decision victory. Here are the complete UFC 135: "Jones vs. Rampage" Spike TV preliminary fight results: Tim Boetsch def. Nick Ring via unanimous decision Tony Ferguson def. Aaron Riley via stoppage (broken jaw, did not answer second round bell)

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UFC 135 Results: Tim Boetsch Gives Nick Ring His First Career Loss

Ring came out early with some fancy footwork always moving away from Tim Boetsch's offense. He caught a kick and pushed Boetsch to the ground. He quickly swarmed and started to work for a d'arce choke. Tim survived but the submission was locked in for quite some time. Boetsch got back to his feet but was unable to find his range while Nick Ring found a home for his jab. Boetsch committed to a takedown and after being unable to secure it landed a couple big shots to the chin of Ring. As the round came to a close Tim Boetsch began to find his range. Ring came out again utilized movement to avoid the strikes of Tim Boetsch. Boetsch found a home for his right hand snapping Nick Ring's head back and then cutting off the cage landing several strikes that had Nick Ring in trouble. A right hand dropped Nick Ring. Ring recovered quickly and swarmed but was soon taken down and found himself caught in a guillotine. Ring survived but he was noticeably slower. Boetsch swarmed with dirty boxing and the final two minutes of the second round turned into a brawl with Tim Boetsch as the aggressor. He capped off the round with a trip and a kimura that was close to finishing the fight before the horn sounded. Boetsch was the aggressor as the third round began quickly securing a single collar tie and utilizing some dirty boxing. Boetsch was able to clinch up on numerous occasions and would land multiple strikes. Boetsch brough the fight to the ground and with under two minutes left in the round, Nick Ring was flat on his back. Big uchi-mata by Tim Boetsch put a stamp on the final round. Boetsch finished the round on top with ground and pound. Tim Boetsch's UFC career didn't get off to the best start going 2-2 in the organization before leaving to fight on the regional level. When he returned he went 1-1, dropping his last fight at light heavyweight to Phil Davis. Following the Davis fight, Boetsch decided to cut the weight to fight at 185. Now 2-0 in the division, tonight's performance definitely impressed many. Nick Ring was one of the top prospects on the eleventh season of the Ultimate Fighter before a knee injury forced him from the competition. When he finally returned, he picked up two quick wins in the organization. Tonight was his the first time he's suffered defeat and his overall record is now 12-1. For another take on the fight, check out Kid Nate's analysis over at MMA Nation. SBN coverage of UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage

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Tim Boetschs vs Nick Ring. Throw GIF

submitted by ThePromKing [link] [2 comments]

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UFC 135 Live Blog: Tim Boetsch vs. Nick Ring Updates

Filed under: UFCDENVER -- This is the UFC 135 live blog for Tim Boetsch vs. Nick Ring, a middleweight bout on tonight's UFC pay-per-view from the Pepsi Center. Boetsch (13-4) is coming off a win over Kendall Grove at UFC 130 in May. Ring (12-0) this year defeated Riki Fukuda and James Head at UFC 127 and UFC 131, respectively. The live blog is below. More Coverage: UFC 135 Results | Latest UFC 135 News Round 1: Long feeling out process by the two middleweights. Ring catches a leg kick that he chases for a takedown. Ring grabs a front headlock on a turtled Boetsch. Back up, Boetsch takes the center of the cage and stalks Ring. Ring keeps circling until he sees a front kick that he tries to capitalize into a takedown again, but this time Boetsch gets his footing back. They clinch and Boetsch lands a short right and a front kick to the body. Boetsch lands a right with 20 seconds left. Boetsch lands an uppercut. Ring tosses a head kick at the sound of the bell that's blocked. Uneventful close round that I'll give the edge to Boetsch for. 10-9 to the Barbarian. Round 2: Ring is a little more active to start round two. Boetsch staying active with head movements and lands a right hand. Ring tries to close the distance for a takedown but to no succcess. Boetsch lands a right and an uppercut. Boestch is winning this fight with his hands against a hesitant Ring. Boetsch momentarily drops Ring with a right hand just under two minutes into the round. Ring lands some nice knees but Boetsch scores a takedown. Ring brings the fight back up only to be dragged down with a guillotine attempt by Boetsch. Boetsch eventually gives up on the hold and he's now in closed guard. Boetsch escapes and turns into Ring. Ring grabs a headlock and Boetsch gets the fight to the feet. Boetsch lands a left hook. Boetsch lands close shots on a Ring who has significantly slowed. Boetsch pulls off a trip takedown on Ring and attempts a kimura -- and Ring is saved by the bell. Boetsch wins round two easily 10-9. Round 3: Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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UFC 135 Fight Card Primer: Tim Boetsch vs. Nick Ring

One guy will be looking to stay undefeated at middleweight, while the other will be looking to stay undefeated period. The Barbarian vs. The Promise? It's obvious who wins the nickname war, but this middleweight fight is very hard to call. Tim Boetsch (13-4, 4-3 UFC) will square off with Nick Ring (12-0, 2-0 UFC). Neither fighter is currently ranked at middleweight on the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, but both fighters are knocking on the door and could creep onto the bottom of the list with a win. This middleweight UFC 135 fight will be the first fight of the televised part of the broadcast, and will be shown on Spike TV. The Spike show begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. How do these two stack up? Boetsch: 30 years old | 5'11" | 74" reachRing: 32 years old | 6'1" | 74" reach What have these two done recently? Boetsch: W - Kendall Grove (UD) | L - Phil Davis (SUB) | W - Todd Brown (UD)Ring: W - James Head (SUB) | W - Riki Fukuda (UD) | W- Yannick Galipeau (SUB) How did these two get here? Tim "The Barbarian" Boetsch opened his career with six straight wins before dropping a decision to Vladimir "The Janitor" Matyushenko in the IFL. Oddly, he was brought into the UFC straight off of a loss on 10 days notice, and impressed everyone by dumping David Heath right on his head like a ragdoll and taking a TKO victory in the process. Unfortunately, Boetsch lost two out of his next three (including a TKO loss to UFC 130 main eventer Matt Hamill), and was released from the organization. After three straight wins in the minors, he was brought back at UFC 117 where he won a decision over Todd Brown. A blowout loss to Phil Davis at UFC 123 convinced him that he needed to make the drop to middleweight though. He looked great in his debut at 185, easily controlling Kendall Grove and cruising to a decision victory. Nick "The Promise" Ring has been an MMA pro for over 9 years now, but got his big break as a castmember on The Ultimate Fighter 11. His unique personality made him one of the more popular cast members, but after beating eventual TUF 11 winner Court McGee, he found out he would require knee surgery. He was out for 14 months, and returned to make his official UFC debut against Riki Fukuda at UFC 127. He picked up a highly controversial decision to remain undefeated. His next bout was against James Head at UFC 131, where he recovered from a slow start to dominate and pick up a third-round submission victory. Why should you care? Ring is undefeated but many fans feel it's only a matter of time before his hype train gets de-railed and he loses. Is The Barbarian that man? We'll find out. You can catch more UFC 135 preview content from Bloody Elbow after the jump.

Posted in: ufc, boetsch, middleweight, kendall grove, riki fukuda

UFC 135 Prelim Results - Boetsch Roughs Up Ring in Middle Action

DENVER, September 24 – Tim Boetsch got off to a slow start in his middleweight bout against The Ultimate Fighter vet Nick Ring Saturday at Pepsi Center, but he picked up the pace as the fight went on, handing his opponent his first pro loss via unanimous decision in UFC 135 prelim action.“I’m loving middleweight so far,” said Boetsch, who is now 2-0 in the division.Scores were 29-28 twice and 30-27.Ring frustrated Boetsch with his rapid backpedaling around the Octagon for much of the first round, and when he was able to get “The Barbarian” to the mat, his control there was enough to earn the opening frame.Boetsch finally landed with a right hand of significance in the first minute of round two, but he wasn’t able to follow-up on the head-snapping blow. Midway through the round, Boetsch was able to pin Ring against the fence, and after sinking in a guillotine choke, he pulled guard. After a few moments, Ring escaped and eventually got back to his feet. Boetsch was gaining momentum though, and Ring’s backpedaling now looked to be the strategy of a hurt and tired fighter, one who got slammed to the mat just before the bell.In complete control in round three, Boetsch got a roar out of the crowd with a high-flying throw of Ring that rocked the Octagon. And while he didn’t finish Ring, he certainly finished the fight with an emphatic bang that made the judges’ call that much easier.With the win, Boetsch improves to 14-4; Ring falls to 12-1.FERGUSON vs. RILEYIt was déjà vu all over again for veteran lightweight Aaron Riley, as a jaw injury similar to the one he suffered in his 2006 loss to Spencer Fisher caused the stoppage of his bout with The Ultimate Fighter season 13 winner Tony Ferguson after the first round.After a busy opening with solid work from both men, Ferguson rocked Riley with a left uppercut midway through the round, apparently breaking the veteran’s jaw. After shaking off the shot, Riley got right back to work, but it was the stalking Ferguson who looked to be in control, and by the end of the round, it was clear that Riley was in no condition to continue, and the fight was waved off due to the injury, giving Ferguson the victory.With the win, Ferguson improves to 13-2; Riley falls to 29-13-1.ASSUNCAO vs. YAGINReturning featherweight Junior Assuncao didn’t win over any fans with his methodical attack against newcomer Eddie Yagin, but he got the victory in his first UFC bout in four years.The unanimous decision for Assuncao read 30-26 twice and 30-27.The crowd didn’t waste much time letting Assuncao (14-4) and Yagin know how they felt about the lack of action in the opening round, booing consistently between the two takedowns by Assuncao that accounted for much of the significant scoring in the first five minutes.If anything, things got worse in round two, with a brief guillotine choke attempt from Yagin (15-5-1) on an Assuncao takedown providing the only drama of the stanza.Yagin almost sunk in the guillotine the second time around in round three, but Assuncao pulled free and proceeded to score with ground strikes on his trapped opponent for the rest of the fight to secure his first Octagon win since beating David Lee at UFC 70.MIZUGAKI vs. ESCOVEDOJapanese bantamweight Takeya Mizugaki scored the most impressive victory of his three fight UFC stint, stopping Cole Escovedo via strikes in the second round.A slow starting battle of Octagon control turned into a slugfest in the final 90 seconds, with Escovedo using thudding knees and long-range punches while Mizugaki countered with punches to the head that had the crowd roaring.In the second though, Mizugaki (15-6-2) turned up the heat behind a vicious body attack that opened up Escovedo (17-8) for the head shots to follow. Three knockdowns later, referee Adam Martinez had seen enough, awarding the bout to Mizugaki via second round TKO at the 4:30 mark.TE HUNA vs. ROMEROAustralia’s James Te Huna got things off to a rousing start in the light heavyweight opener, knocking out Ricardo Romero in the first round.Te Huna’s right hand was his weapon of choice from the outset, not surprising, considering that he admitted to breaking a finger in his left hand in the lead-up to the fight. After Te Huna rocked and dropped the New Jersey native with an uppercut in the first exchange of the fight, Romero survived the ensuing follow-up, but missed badly on a couple of takedown attempts. On the last failed attempt, Te Huna crushed Romero with a right hand, and after a couple more shots, referee Tim Mills called a stop to the fight at the 47 second mark.With the win, Te Huna ups his record to 15-5; Romero falls to 11-3.

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1UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage - Spike TV Prelims Dissection

Picking up where the Facebook fights leave off, Spike TV will broadcast two UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage preliminary bouts at 8 p.m. ET. Undefeated Nick Ring meets recent middleweight crossover Tim Boetsch and TUF 13 winner Anthony Ferguson faces seasoned veteran Aaron Riley in a lightweight clash. Nick Ring (12-0) vs. Tim Boetsch (13-4) Tim "The Barbarian" Boetsch was a four-time state high school wrestling champion who further advanced to four years on the NCAA Division 1 squad at Lock Haven University. He entered the UFC seven fights deep as a 205er with only one stain on the carpet, which was Vladimir Matyushenko in the IFL. Boetsch made a lasting impression by rag-dolling David Heath at UFC 81 before encountering stiff competition in Matt Hamill and Jason Brilz, both of whom defeated him, though he notched a win over Michael Patt in between. After compiling three wins outside the UFC, Boetsch returned to the Octagon and once again split results, this time with Todd Browne (win) and Phil Davis (kimura loss). Boetsch then made the plunge to middleweight where his tenacious wrestling and caveman strength was too much for Kendall Grove at UFC 130. Other than a few short instances where his cardio seemed to sputter, Boetsch's 185-pound initiation was a rousing success. His barreling takedowns and frenetic pace will be tough for any middleweight to fend off. Nick Ring was flawless going into The Ultimate Fighter 11 -- where he defeated eventual winner Court McGee but was forced out due to a recurring knee injury -- and has maintained his perfect record in his dual Octagon stints. Nagging knee problems were the culprit for Ring's previous three year hiatus from the sport, where he warmed back up with a 4-1 tour in professional boxing. His debut was a contentious decision win over DEEP middleweight champion Riki Fukuda at UFC 127 followed by a third round rear-naked choke on talented newcomer James Head at UFC 131. Ring has been a lurking talent with an unknown ceiling, but his limitations will surely be tested by the asperity of Boetsch's physicality. Gifs and analysis in the full entry. SBN coverage of UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage The baseline credential for this match up is the iron will of Tim Boetsch and his angry gorilla grappling. At middleweight, his sheer brawn is an even deadlier counterpart to his overwhelming wrestling. Technique is always more important than strength, but Boetsch has a tremendously formidable blend of both. He built a rep at 205 as a largely imposing fighter; a trait considerably enhanced with his recent drop in weight. Against Grove (right), his explosiveness and low center of gravity was unstoppable in the clinch. Boetsch's compact frame, agility and athleticism are like fitting a supercharger on an already capable high-torque engine. Notice how, in every capture, Boetsch lands in half-guard or side control and commences his pounding and positional advances without skipping a beat. In plain terms: he's a brick shithouse with huge power in every movement and sound technique to follow through on takedowns. To beat him, you have to stop his attempts or submit him, and his submission defense has been kosher thus far. His takedown prowess was so effective against Grove that striking hardly came into play. The threat of being hurled to the canvas instilled major hesitation in all of Grove's offensive pursuits. I had my grappling consultant, "auspegicht" from Spladdle.com, comment on Boetsch's technique (right): In wrestling this is simply a whizzer with a leg reap and far wrist control. If you watch closely he actually failed initially -- he wanted to go towards the turbuckle that says Tapout on it. He met resistance and like anyone who wrestles intelligently, he flowed instead of muscling through it. Spiraling was the perfect follow-up. The wrist control is simply to prevent or slow down Kendall from using it to post on his head or get a better tie-up. Though the stature of Grove and Ring are hardly comparable, the key elements of the Boetsch-Grove and Ring-Fukuda match up are analogous here. Ring's sweet spots are his sharp Thai arsenal and capable grappling. He doesn't do anything flashy on the feet, just methodically unravels long, straight punches and clean, precise kicks while keeping his hands up. Despite an admirable performance off his back against another domineering wrestler in Fukuda, playing guard against Boetsch is simply not advisable. Though he will be heavier come fight-time, Boetsch is a 6'0" wrestler like Fukuda, so let's revisit that match up. Compared to the examples with Kendall Grove above, the biggest difference with Ring's clinch game here is the cushion he keeps between him and Fukuda. All three Boetsch takedowns are initiated through his control or manipulation of Kendall Grove's hips while deeply embedded in the clinch. Notice how Ring keeps his hips back and his arms free to grab wrist control and block strikes. Staying on balance and light on his toes, he also reacts with a sense of urgency when his back hits the fence by pushing off and circling out to avoid being trapped. Thwarted by Ring's application of wrist control and keeping his hips and waist out of reach in the clinch, Fukuda switches away from trying to tie up and usher him to the fence to a perfectly timed level drop, penetrating deeply for a textbook double leg. By setting it up with strikes, Fukuda catches Ring with a high guard to deflect punches and, by the time he makes contact, he's too low and deep for Ring to catch a whizzer and sprawl. The goal is penetration and Fukuda simply adjusts to get it through different means. Here we see the same concept to the right. While Fukuda's set up and shoot are beautiful, Ring gets caught flat-footed again. This is why his footwork and cage movement must be synced to his defensive clinching skills to maintain a safe distance. If I were Nick Ring, my prime directive would be maintaining that bubble of space. Anytime Boetsch can use his arms to manipulate the waist and hips, it's like controlling the fulcrum of Ring's balance, and Boetsch's acceleration, power and use of angles will likely topple him over consistently. The problem is that Ring has to stay on the trigger in the striking game to win this fight, and targeting openings with any semblance of power requires planting the feet to generate torque ... which is the exact position where he's vulnerable to Boetsch's advances. Ring doesn't get enough credit for his multi-layered ground game. He's composed, he has good defense and a wide range of sweeps and subs, but I'm not sure he can muster anything other than a few escapes. Boetsch's posture, base and ground and pound are Herculean and I don't think Ring will be successful offensively from the bottom. Standing, he's superior, but he doesn't have a ton of punching power. Boetsch does, which, along with the looming threat of takedowns, will equalize things on the feet. As long as his gas tank is full, "The Barbarian" should dominate with control. My Prediction: Tim Boetsch by decision I'm surprised there's not more of a buzz surrounding The Ultimate Fighter 13 winner. He was utterly dominant on the show, throttling all of his adversaries, including fellow finalist Ramsey Nijem, by jaw-crushing TKO. The kid was an athletic whiz in high school who competed at the varsity level all four years in wrestling, football and baseball, then went on to collect a state championship and dual All American honors at a Division II college in wrestling. With that proven foundation underneath him, what makes Ferguson such an interesting prospect is the fusion of his extensive wing span (76") with his scorching boxing skills. For reference, spindling welterweight Ben Saunders has a 77.5" reach measurement. Reach becomes a prominent factor when meshed with accuracy, power and head movement. A common response is for opponents to bull-rush in order to account for the extra distance, which leaves openings. In the sequence above, note Ferguson's avid bobbing and weaving while Nijem presses forward while flurrying. Alternating between striking and takedowns can wreak havoc on the feet, and here Ferguson transitions from vivacious head movement while boxing to a level change for the takedown. To the left is another defensive takedown from Ferguson when Nijem over-commits to his punches while barging forward. He senses the heavy pressure as Nijem swarms, knowing he's within takedown proximity based on the depth of his strikes. To finish the takedown above, check out how Ferguson is initially countered on the double but spins gracefully to his right to cut a fresh angle and grabs Nijem's left ankle to break down his base. In the standing two-piece Ferguson connects with here, the advantage of his enormous wingspan is evident; especially with his left hand, which he turns over hard to torque it like a casting punch. The straight right, left hook and uppercut make up most of his combinations. Ferguson has also shown highly creative scrambling abilities. When Nijem switches from the single and gets his arms deep on the double leg, Ferguson anticipates brilliantly and hits a forward roll to break his hips free. Then, he takes a knee and spins up to his feet to bomb uppercuts in the blink of an eye. Aaron Riley is old school, hard-nosed, well rounded and known for excitement. Unfortunately, Riley's prime predates the era where gifs of the action are aplenty. He's a southpaw with rock solid striking and grappling, a nice, needling straight left and good kicks. His grappling is rife with over a decade of experience and he fights like a composed vet at all times. His debut was in 1997 and he's fought the likes of Robbie Lawler, Chris Lytle, Yves Edwards, Eddie Alvarez, Michihiro Omigawa, and Falaniko Vitale. He clipped Omigawa with a head kick in the Japanese Judoka's MMA debut at Pride Bushido 7, but Spencer Fisher made for an unfriendly welcome back to the Octagon, winning by KO. Riley's first UFC appearance was a gritty decision to then-phenom Robbie Lawler at UFC 37. In his recent five-fight clip in the big show, he decisioned Jorge Gurgel before finding himself on the wrong end of the stoppage to the right against Shane Nelson. Riley avenged the premature stoppage with a decision over Nelson in the rematch, was finished via TKO by Ross Pearson and defeated Joe Brammer by decision at UFC 114. Back in the day, Riley was right on the fringe of top lightweights, but presently shouldn't have a lot of options for Ferguson's youthful exuberance and versatile offense. The advantage of experience is applying intelligence at split-second intervals, so while his cerebral approach could foster some surprises for the fairly green Ferguson, Riley will have his hands full fending off long punches and explosive takedowns. He's not a bad wrestler and could put Ferguson on his back -- as we saw Justin Edwards do on the reality show -- where his mesh of positional and submission skills are formidable. However, his chances of holding Ferguson down or invoking damage are probably slim. My Prediction: Tony Ferguson by TKO http://i31.tinypic.com/33lzhad.gif Riley bad stoppage Poll Nick Ring vs. Tim Boetsch and Tony Ferguson vs. Aaron Riley? Ring and Ferguson Ring and Riley Boetsch and Ferguson Boetsch and Riley 6 votes | Results

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