With 20th UFC scrap, UFC 205 winner Tim Boetsch again putting division on notice

NEW YORK – Middleweight Tim Boetsch got a hell of a gift for while notching his 20th career UFC fight.

Now two wins removed from a three-fight slump, Boetsch (20-10 MMA, 11-9 UFC) thinks his fellow 185-pounders were already aware of what he and his right hand bring to the table.

But, just in case, the first-round knockout of Rafael Natal (21-7-1 MMA, 9-5-1 UFC) on Saturday’s UFC 205 preliminary card should be a good reminder.

“I think all the middleweights know what they’re getting into when I step into the octagon with them,” Boetsch said after the FS1-televised bout at Madison Square Garden in New York. “But (I’m) definitely knocking on the door of a lot of people again. It’s the opportunity I wanted.

“Fights like this come along, and you get a guy who’s ranked (Natal is No. 14 on the official UFC rankings), and then obviously you want to keep climbing that ladder. That’s exactly what I want to do. Whoever’s in front of me, whoever’s next, I’m ready for them.

“I hope (I put the division on notice). And I plan on continuing to knock people out as long as it takes. So, let’s see who’s next.”

A relaxed “Barbarian” detailed the lead-up to the unforgiving finish that added a second straight loss to New York-based Natal’s record. Noticing he was off to a good start after the right hand’s initial appearance, Boetsch knew it was up to him to have a successful evening.

“Any time my knuckles get sore after a punch, I know it was a good one,” he said. “They definitely got sore right away. Then I saw the blood running and the look in his eyes, and I knew I definitely put myself in a good position early in the fight.

“And then it was just a matter of being patient. I knew my hands were going to be crisper than his and I’d be able to land those shots, and that’s exactly what I did.”

Now 11-9 in an octagon career that dates back to 2010, Boetsch was at a loss for words when it came to describing the feeling of such a momentous win at the historic Madison Square Garden event.

“It’s hard to describe with words how that just felt,” Boetsch said. “Training camp was perfect. The whole camp, I felt like I could put him away with punches. I wanted to get a knockout and to go out there and do it in the first round.

“Just to have that dream come true is just a blessing beyond anything I can describe. It’s a heck of a day.”

To hear more from Boetsch, check out the video above.

And for complete coverage UFC 205, check out the UFC Events section of the site.