Tag: Tim Boetsch

Tim Boetsch Says He’ll Eventually Get a Shot at Anderson Silva

I like Tim Boetsch for a bunch of reasons, really, but the main thing I enjoy about him is that he’s a direct talker. By that, I mean that if you ask him a question, he’s going to give you a straight answer. He doesn’t dance around questions and he doe…

I like Tim Boetsch for a bunch of reasons, really, but the main thing I enjoy about him is that he’s a direct talker. By that, I mean that if you ask him a question, he’s going to give you a straight answer. He doesn’t dance around questions and he doesn’t give the standard fighter-speak boilerplate response of “I just want to compete and I’ll fight whoever the UFC puts in front of me.”

Boetsch scored the biggest win of his career over Hector Lombard last Saturday night at UFC 149. Does that make him a contender? He certainly has a strong case. He’s 4-0 at middleweight, and his last two wins (Lombard and Yushin Okami) were against title contenders. 

But the top of the middleweight division is packed. Chris Weidman, Brian Stann, Alan Belcher and Michael Bisping are all laying claim to the contender’s throne and there’s a chance that Rashad Evans could drop down to middleweight and bypass all of them. Boetsch, despite his two big previous wins, is on the outside looking in.

But Boetsch isn’t in a hurry, telling Inside MMA on Monday night that all he has to do is keep up his winning ways and he’ll eventually get a title shot: 

For me, when a guy runs his mouth and there’s high expectations, it’s part of fighting. I’ve find that I’m kind of the opposite of that. I wanna perform, and maybe that’s why I’m not on the radar, and everybody’s not talking about me. But, if I beat enough people, it’s gonna be hard to ignore me, and it’s gonna be hard to deny me that title shot.

I’m not sure who they’re gonna put in front of me, after a win over Hector, after a win over Okami, but whoever they put in front of me, next, I’ll get the win. I think I match up great (with Anderson Silva). He struggles with wrestlers, and I’m a wrestler that also can do a lot of damage with my fists and kicks and submissions. I haven’t been showing my submission game much, but we’ll save that for the world championship. If I need to submit Anderson Silva, I know I can.

I’m not sure about the idea of Boetsch submitting Anderson Silva. I mean, anything can happen in MMA, and it often does. But attempting to submit Silva doesn’t seem like the best kind of game plan for Boetsch to focus on.

But we’re a long way from even discussing game plans at this point. Boetsch will need one more big win to be considered for a title shot, so what’s next for the burly middleweight? Vitor Belfort wants to fight Weidman, but Weidman doesn’t seem to like that idea very much. Belcher wants to fight Belfort, and his camp is attempting to goad the Brazilian into accepting the fight. And Bisping and Stann are scheduled to square off in September.

One of these guys is going to be left out in the cold, and they’ll need an opponent. To me, Boetsch taking on any of those top names makes sense.

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UFC 149: Don’t Call Hector Lombard’s UFC Career a Write-Off… Yet

Fight fans in Calgary on Saturday night were prepared to watch one of the most anticipated debuts in UFC history, as Hector Lombard took to the UFC’s world-famous octagon for the very first time. The heavy-handed Cuban, a black belt in Brazilian …

Fight fans in Calgary on Saturday night were prepared to watch one of the most anticipated debuts in UFC history, as Hector Lombard took to the UFC’s world-famous octagon for the very first time.

The heavy-handed Cuban, a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and former Olympic judoka, entered the arena with a 31-2 record (with one no-contest, and one draw). He had finished 17 of his wins by knockout and seven by submission.

Riding a 20-fight win streak, and unbeaten in 25 fights, since November 2006, fans were ready for Hector “Lightning” Lombard to make his mark on the UFC in explosive fashion.

In reality, what transpired was little more than a damp squib.

Lombard’s aggressive fighting style, which had earned him fans all over the world, was nowhere to be seen, and he endured the jeers of the impatient Canadian fans for the best part of the 15-minute bout, before seeing Tim Boetsch’s hand raised as the winner of a split decision.

Lombard’s debut promised so much and delivered so little; having all the appeal of a bubble bath with Mila Kunis, but ending up about as absorbing as a night in with Morrissey.

His first appearance on the grandest stage in mixed martial arts was, unequivocally, a failure.

However, despite the doom and gloom, the fifteen minutes of disappointment and near-boredom fight fans were subjected to, and all the (completely justified) criticism of Lombard, it’s still too early to give up on his UFC career.

Those who portrayed him as a write-off following his loss were not only doing him an injustice, but they were also doing the same to Tim Boetsch.

“The Barbarian” is now 4-0 at middleweight in the UFC, including a win over former UFC title challenger, Yushin Okami. He may not be the most exciting name in the world of MMA, but his 16-4 record proves he is no slouch in the ring.

Furthermore, the step up to the UFC is huge; from fighting competition such as Trevor Prangley, Jesse Taylor, Alexander Shlemenko, and the running man, Kalib Starnes, he went straight into battle with a top five middleweight in the world’s biggest promotion.

In addition to the change in competition, his live audience has increased nearly four-fold from his last fight in Bellator at the Hard Rock Hotel in Florida, to fighting in front of a sold-out 16,000 arena in Calgary, Alberta.

You would hope that a top MMA fighter would not suffer stage fright, but given the expectations of those in attendance, it would not be outside the realms of possibility that Lombard was feeling the pressure of those expecting him to win, which could have resulted in his cautious approach, as he hoped to avoid a loss.

Forgetting all else, it is also conceivable that Lombard, quite simply, had an off-night; Boetsch was the better fighter on the night, and as a result, he won.

To give up on Lombard now, and call him a scrub or can-crusher, two names which have consistently appeared across the web to describe the Cuban fighter, is not fair. We have seen him fight once in the promotion; an informed opinion cannot be made on that.

It was clear that he struggled in the cage, for whatever reason, but he deserves another chance to try and show he can beat top opponents.

If Lombard comes out swinging in his next bout and wins, the Boetsch fight will be all but forgotten, and Lombard will, once again, be heralded as a future UFC champion.

Dana White has already said Lombard should consider a drop to welterweight, and fight at 170lbs to counter the height disadvantage he may experience at middleweight. If he chooses this route, it could also help his UFC career, especially considering he comfortably matched former light-heavyweight Boetsch, in this department.

Finally, fans should also not forget Lombard was willing to risk his reputation and legacy by entering the UFC. It would have been easy for him to continue circling less prestigious organisations, picking off lesser opponents.

He can only be commended for testing himself against the UFC’s athletes, and, regardless of the success of his run in the UFC, his achievements in Bellator and around the world, cannot be ignored.

It may end in tears, and a record stained by consecutive losses in his only few bouts in the UFC; Fedor would vouch for that following his ill-feted stint in Strikeforce. Sadly, that is often the way things go.

Nevertheless, Lombard is a UFC fighter. He endured an awful debut, but fans should reserve judgement on him until after his next UFC fight.

His 31 previous victories do not count for nothing, and while Lombard’s UFC journey may eventually be remembered as a failure, until fans see how he copes in his next fight, we should refrain from writing him off.

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Tim Boetsch Claims He Can Submit Anderson Silva

Hector Lombard’s conqueror, Tim “The Barbarian” Boetsch, has joined that exquisite clique of fighters vying for a showdown with UFC 185-pound linchpin Anderson Silva.In true Chris Weidman style, Boetsch claims he possesses the requisi…

Hector Lombard’s conqueror, Tim “The Barbarian” Boetsch, has joined that exquisite clique of fighters vying for a showdown with UFC 185-pound linchpin Anderson Silva.

In true Chris Weidman style, Boetsch claims he possesses the requisite skill set to submit the perennial champion.

For me, when a guy runs his mouth and there’s high expectations, it’s part of fighting. I’ve find that I’m kind of the opposite of that. I wanna perform, and maybe that’s why I’m not on the radar, and everybody’s not talking about me. But, if I beat enough people, it’s gonna be hard to ignore me, and it’s gonna be hard to deny me that title shot. I’m not sure who they’re gonna put in front of me, after a win over Hector, after a win over Okami, but whoever they put in front of me, next, I’ll get the win. I think I match up great (with Anderson Silva). He struggles with wrestlers, and I’m a wrestler that also can do a lot of damage with my fists and kicks and submissions. I haven’t been showing my submission game much, but we’ll save that for the world championship. If I need to submit Anderson Silva, I know I can (via Inside MMA, h/t MMAMania.com).

Belief in one’s self is a great human characteristic, but seriously? This coming from a guy who just about scraped passed Lombard?

In the history of the Zuffa-based promotion, has there ever been a UFC champion called out somewhat willy-nilly, as has been the case with the 37-year-old Brazilian?

To the best of my knowledge—no.

However, it seems to be in vogue these days for the man who wears 12 pounds of gold strapped around his waist.

West Linn, Ore.’s, finest mouthpiece, Chael.P Sonnen, first started the trend and look where that got him—a second-round blitzkrieg.

Prior to Sonnen’s divine retribution, Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort, against his better judgement, elected to throw hands with his one-time friend and training colleague, but ended up as a highlight reel for wannabe Bruce Lee impersonators.

Former training partner Mark “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” Munoz joined the Silva chorus, and he too threw his hat in the Octagon. His challenge was nonetheless inconsequential, as the Wrecking Machine got wrecked before “The Spider” spun his web—“The All-American” Weidman emphatically saw to that.

Following his success against the aforementioned Munoz, Weidman upped the verbal ante on his earlier promise of finishing Silva with a full camp.

That said, he just might get that opportunity sooner rather than later, given that Bellator import Lombard flunked on his first UFC outing.

Two other would-be contenders in the guise of Alan “The Talent” Belcher and Michael “The Count” Bisping also decided to follow suit, and like the rest before them, saw fit to harangue Silva for a tilt at UFC glory.

The odds of these fights coming to fruition more or less rest on several factors:

The outcome of their respective matches (Bisping locks horns with Brian Stann at UFC 152, while Weidman and Belcher thus far have nothing in the offing).

It also depends on whether Silva decides to take a self-imposed furlough for six months or more.

And finally, from the UFC’s perspective and a business standpoint, will the matchups have enough pay-per-view clout to generate interest?

With that in mind, we’ll wait with bated breath for the next combatant to come out of the woodwork and vocalize his credentials for knocking Silva off his lofty perch and/or stake a claim as being meritorious of the No. 1 contender status.

 

For additional information, follow Nedu Obi on Twitter.

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UFC 149 Injury Update: Urijah Faber Fought Through a Broken Rib, Cheick Kongo Had Two Jacked-Up Shoulders

In one final outburst of senseless violence, the UFC 149 Injury Curse claimed multiple victims on fight night, before receding back to the haunted ground that spawned it. We already mentioned that Tim Boetsch broke his foot during the second round of his fight against Hector Lombard, and yesterday Urijah Faber confirmed that he broke a rib during his main event meeting with Renan Barao. The California Kid tweeted out the x-ray above, writing “Congrats 2 @RenanBaraoUFC. He’s a tough dude. Broke my rib in the 1st with a great knee. Thank u 4 all the support.”

So if you were wondering why Boetsch wasn’t quite as active as you expected him to be on Saturday, or why Faber consistently looked a half-step behind his Brazilian opponent, blame the broken bones. And if you were wondering why Cheick Kongo‘s bout with Shawn Jordan turned out to be a hopelessly dull clinching-competition, there’s a similar explanation for that too…

In one final outburst of senseless violence, the UFC 149 Injury Curse claimed multiple victims on fight night, before receding back to the haunted ground that spawned it. We already mentioned that Tim Boetsch broke his foot during the second round of his fight against Hector Lombard, and yesterday Urijah Faber confirmed that he broke a rib during his main event meeting with Renan Barao. The California Kid tweeted out the x-ray above, writing “Congrats 2 @RenanBaraoUFC. He’s a tough dude. Broke my rib in the 1st with a great knee. Thank u 4 all the support.”

So if you were wondering why Boetsch wasn’t quite as active as you expected him to be on Saturday, or why Faber consistently looked a half-step behind his Brazilian opponent, blame the broken bones. And if you were wondering why Cheick Kongo‘s bout with Shawn Jordan turned out to be a hopelessly dull clinching-competition, there’s a similar explanation for that too…


(Props: MMAFighting.com)

In his post-fight interview with Ariel Helwani, Kongo admits to entering the fight with two injured shoulders that gave him about a 7 or 8 on a scale of 1-10, pain-wise. (So maybe that’s why he didn’t do his traditional “chest thump thing” before the fight. It’s not your fault, Anthony.) When Helwani asks him if he wishes he’d pulled out of the fight, Kongo agrees and says “I just tried to be there just for the fans” — which is admirable, in theory.

Though Kongo apologized for his performance, he did have something to say to the Calgary fans who booed the fight: ”They don’t know what’s going on, what’s happened. Everybody thinks the fight is really easy to do…if they got to fight in the same condition like I am today, honestly, they [would] cry or just pass out.”

UFC News: Hector Lombard Has No Plans to Drop Down to Welterweight

Despite his new boss recommending that he drop from middleweight to welterweight, Bellator’s former 185-pound champion, Hector Lombard, said he has no plans to fight at a new weight class. Lombard tweeted this morning:
I feel strong at 185 just be…

Despite his new boss recommending that he drop from middleweight to welterweight, Bellator’s former 185-pound champion, Hector Lombard, said he has no plans to fight at a new weight class. 

Lombard tweeted this morning:

After coming into the UFC on the strength of a 25-fight unbeaten streak, “Lightning” lost a split decision to Tim “The Barbarian” Boetsch at UFC 149 in a lackluster affair that saw Lombard’s trademark aggression completely absent. 

UFC president Dana White suggested Lombard test the waters at welterweight at the UFC 149 post-fight conference, since “he made 85 easy.” 

The loss Saturday night was just the third of the former Olympic judoka’s professional MMA career, which includes 36 fights. 

Boetsch has now won eight of his past nine bouts, including a 4-0 run at middleweight and back-to-back wins over former UFC title challenger Yushin Okami and Lombard.

However, given that Boetsch likely broke his foot during the course of the bout, his hopes of an eventual showdown with UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva have likely taken a back seat. 

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UFC 149 Results: Dana White Says Hector Lombard Should Fight at 170

Hector Lombard strutted to the Octagon on Saturday night looking like a walking advertisement for his new employer. Where most sponsored fighters sport one or two pieces of attire adorned with the sponsors logo, Lombard pulled off layer after layer of …

Hector Lombard strutted to the Octagon on Saturday night looking like a walking advertisement for his new employer. Where most sponsored fighters sport one or two pieces of attire adorned with the sponsors logo, Lombard pulled off layer after layer of UFC branded clothing before he was ready to step into the Octagon.

I don’t want to read too much into the situation, but it appeared as if the UFC’s marketing department was clearly behind the promotion’s latest big signing. And before the fight with Tim Boetsch at UFC 149, there was no reason for them not to push Lombard. The former Bellator middleweight champion was on a 25-fight unbeaten streak when he signed with the UFC and there was immediate buzz that he was shortlisted as a potential opponent for UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

The odds were in Lombard’s favor entering the fight. He entered the bout as the (-380) favorite over Boetsch. However, we all know that the fight is not contested on paper, and 15 minutes after the Octagon door locked behind the fighters, Boetsch was having his hand raised in victory. 

One can imagine that the bettors that had put money on Lombard were tearing up their betting slips and letting them fall to the floor, while the Boetsch bettors ran to the betting cages to collect their spoils.

It was an odd fight for Lombard. For 15 minutes, fans waited for him to unleash the heavy hands that had knocked out 17 of his previous opponents, but the onslaught never came. Instead, Lombard stood flatfooted and tentative and it cost him the decision, leaving fans wondering where the Lombard they expected to see had gone.

After the post-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White described the Lombard versus Boetsch fight as “horrible.”  Later, during the media scrum, White declared:

Lombard probably should fight at 170, he made (1)85 easy. He’s short and wide, but I think he can make 70. 70’s no joke either, 70’s a very tough division. This is one of those things, the guy was on a 25-fight win streak, a lot of hype behind him, people have been talking about him forever. Guys that fight in other organizations end up in top ten rankings and it’s a whole other world over here.

One has to wonder, could the UFC boss be experiencing buyer’s remorse over his latest big-name signing, or was he simply blowing off steam after witnessing a disappointing performance from Lombard? It’s hard to tell, but to go from suggesting that Lombard was one win away from a title shot at 185 to saying that he may be better off at 170, that’s a pretty big change of opinion.

In the coming days we’ll see where this goes. Will Lombard heed the words of White and elect to drop to 170, or will he look for a shot at redemption at 185? Either way, it will be very interesting to see who UFC matchmaker Joe Silva puts him up against in his next contest.

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