UFC 205's Tim Boetsch quietly registers his 20th career UFC fight

NEW YORK – Tim Boetsch has seen a lot during his decade-long career, and he’s thankful the majority of it has come in the UFC octagon.

Boetsch (19-10 MMA, 10-9 UFC) meets fellow middleweight Rafael Natal (21-7-1 MMA, 9-5-1 UFC) on Saturday at UFC 205, and it marks a bit of a milestone – his 20th career UFC fight.

Boetsch, who joined the UFC in 2010, could move to 11-9 with a victory in the prelim bout, which airs on FS1 from Madison Square Garden in New York. Boetsch recently rebounded from a tough 2-6 stretch with a TKO win over Josh Samman in July. Just four years ago, he was riding a four-fight winning streak – one that included wins over Hector Lombard and Yushin Okami – and had him in middleweight title contention.

The 35-year-old never got a title shot, but he’s picked up some solid wins (in addition to Lombard and Okami, he has victories over C.B. Dollaway and Brad Tavares) and a couple UFC fight-night bonuses.

The longevity, though, is clearly a source of pride.

“Twenty’s a big number,” he told MMAjunkie. “When I first started my career, I had no idea I’d have this many in the octagon. It’s a very big deal for me, and to have it at Madison Square Garden, is just an unbelievable opportunity. I’m very grateful to be part of this fight card.”

However, it could be a real celebration if he gets the win over Natal and then can sit back and watch the pay-per-view main card.

As for a prediction, Boetsch, who’s earned 14 of his 19 career wins via stoppage, has one thing on his mind.

“For me, it’s all about the knockout,” he said. “I truly believe I’m going to get my hand raised after I knock Natal unconscious.”

Check out the full video above.

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