Tim Boetsch has a chance to shock the world once again.
If anyone knows a thing or two about being an underdog, it’s Boetsch. “The Barbarian” had been counted out in his bouts with Yushin Okami and Hector Lombard. Boetsch put those doubts to rest by knocking out Okami in a third-round comeback and stunning Hector Lombard in a split decision victory.
Boetsch was a +365 underdog against Okami and was at +280 coming into his fight with Lombard. Whoever made bets on Boetsch had to be a happy bunch on those nights. As of this writing, he is a +415 underdog for his UFC 208 match-up with Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza.
“The Barbarian” will meet Souza this Saturday night (Feb. 11) inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. For Boetsch, the bout will be an opportunity to extend his winning streak to three and boost his place on the middleweight rankings, where he is currently No. 13.
In a recent conversation with BJPenn.com, Boetsch expressed his confidence going into the contest. He believes he can make “Jacare” feel his punching power:
“[To strike with him is] the obvious thing. He knows that’s my intention and I think he has confidence in his power. I think he’s going to come out early and try to use that. I know he’s going to be moving forward, looking to hurt me and put me on the cage. But I think all of those things lend well to what I want to do to him. If he thinks he wants to drag me to the ground then that means he’s gotta get within range and if he’s in range, I know I can put my hands on him and I know I can hurt him. I know I can finish this guy and that’s exactly what I plan on doing.”
