Boetsch was scheduled to face Chris Weidman in what many people believed to be the #1 contenders match at UFC 155 on December 29th. Unfortunately, Weidman was forced out of this match due to a shoulder injury he received in training. Weidman’s teammate, Constantinos Philipou, has stepped in to take the fight with Boetsch and both fighters will be sure to deliver a strong performance.
Philipou is on a imposing 4 fight winning streak and both of these hard hitting strikers will face off in what is to be an all-out war at the end of the month. These fighters have both previously fought at light heavy weight, but now claim middle weight as their division. For anyone who likes to see a banging brawl, this will not be a fight you will want to miss. With a slight advantage on the ground in Boetsch’s favor, Boetsch may secure a spot as the #1 contender in the middle weight division soon enough.
Yet his path to the top has not been easy. A 31 year old Maine native, Boetsch has done nothing less than prove hard work and perseverance pays off. He has run across several obstacles along the way, but nothing that he has not been able to overcome and grow from in the end. He’s an accomplished fighter who fought for a couple of mixed martial arts organizations and in a couple of different weight classes before finding his place in the UFC.
Tim fell in love with combat sports at an early age; he was very athletic as a child with a ton of energy. Some of his earliest memories are of watching his older brother, also referred to as his hero, wrestle. Being very athletic and participating in multiple sports as a child, he knew from a very early age that he was going to follow in his brother’s footsteps and become a wrestler.
As a four-time state champion wrestler in high school, he secured a college wrestling scholarship. After college Boetsch’s former college roommate, whom was currently working with Pat Miletich, called and asked him to travel to Iowa for a few fights. Boetsch, having a hard time turning down a challenge in which he proves later on in his career, accepted and decided to give it a shot.
After winning both of those fights, Boetsch returned to Pennsylvania to train with his former roommate’s dad, a long term wrestling coach. Although he was not able to coach the newly inspired wrestler in martial arts, he was able to motivate Boetsch, get him in tip-top shape, and make him tough.
After winning the last minute fights in Iowa, Boetsch began fighting professionally and was soon to face a challenge no one else would accept. At the time, Vladimir Matyushenko was relentlessly finishing his opponents in the 1st round, and no one was willing to go toe to toe with him. 3 days prior to the fight, Boetsch was asked to fight him and it was an opportunity he could not turn down. Although he lost the fight in a decision, Boetsch had proven his power and abilities to hang with the big dogs inside of the octagon and that was enough to land him a contract with the UFC.
Boetsch’s first run in the UFC was against the fighter David Heath; another fight in which he took on short notice (10 days’ notice). Heath was favored to out strike Boetsch; however, Boetsch was able to come out on top and out struck Heath and slammed him on his head en route to a TKO in the first round.
Boetsch gained a heap of fans in this fight with his striking and powerful slams. Next in the UFC, Boetsch would lose to Matt Hamill by TKO (punches) in the second round a fight in which Boetsch was a replacement fighter and accepted the fight with only 6 weeks’ notice. Following Hamill, Michael Pratt was defeated by Boetsch by TKO (punches) early in the first round. He then fell victim to Jason Brilz in a unanimous decision ending Boetsch’s 4 fight contract in the UFC with a 2-2 record.
Boetsch’s heart and dedication eventually led him back to the UFC. He knew he belonged in the organization and would stop at nothing to achieve his goal. After speaking to his manager, Boetsch knew he must win 3 or 4 fights in a row in an impressive manner. It was then he left to train at American Martial Arts Academy in Kirkland, WA, to become a better-rounded fighter. Boetsch put together a 3 fight winning streak finishing each opponent, 2 by submission and 1 by KO, and this was enough for the UFC to offer him another contract.
Upon returning to the UFC in the light heavy weight division, Boetsch went 1-1 before deciding to drop to middle weight. Once at this division, Boetsch put together an impressive 3 fight winning streak against the likes of Kendall Grove, Nick Ring, and a come from behind victory against Yushin Okami that left Boetsch at the high point of his career. The UFC then matched Boetsch against Michael Bisping, who was forced to withdraw from the fight due to a knee injury.
That left Boetsch without an opponent until Hector Lombard stepped in since his original opponent suffered from a shoulder injury. Lombard, the heavy favorite by many, was thought to win this bout with his aggressive striking and powerful takedowns. Surprisingly, Boetsch spoiled the plans of the newcomer and won this fight using his striking abilities. He was responsible for ending Lombard’s 25 fight winning streak and placing Boetsch near the top of the 185 division.
Now with the momentum of a victorious underdog behind him, Boetsch has no reason to believe he can’t walk through Philipou at UFC 155. Regardless, he is a man that can’t be counted out and he’s proven this more than a few times in his career.
Watch highlights from Boetsch’s career in the video below.
Video courtesy of YouTube uploader dfatool.