UFC 208's Tim Boetsch was confused when he got the call to fight Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – UFC middleweight Tim Boetsch’s reaction to being paired with Rondaldo “Jacare” Souza wasn’t what you’d expect for a fighter getting a shot at a title contender.

“I was confused, honestly,” Boetsch (20-10 MMA, 11-9 UFC) told MMAjunkie at a media day in support of his meeting Saturday with Souza (23-4 MMA, 6-1 UFC) on the pay-per-view main card of UFC 208 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. “I didn’t know why I was getting the call.”

Boetsch is on a winning streak, having won his past two fights by knockout. But still, he trails Souza by a long shot in the promotional rankings and is unranked compared to the Brazilian’s No. 4 spot in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA middleweight rankings.

But there’s something to be said about being dependable, at least when it comes to saying yes to UFC matchmakers.

“Apparently, he just wanted to fight, so they found the guy that will fight him,” Boetsch said. “I know there were a lot of other phone calls made, and guys that don’t want to get in the cage with him. He’s dangerous, and I’m sure that factored into their turning the fight down.

“But I’m happy to be here. I’m happy that he wanted to fight me, and I’m glad for the opportunity, because it’s going to put me right where I want to be when I beat him.”

Indeed, Boetsch would crash the top-15 list with a win over Souza, whose title aspirations have been frustrated by the frequent changing of the guard at the top of the division. The experiment could also backfire if Souza turned him into chaff, but Boetsch isn’t the type of guy who monitors the downside of willingness.

Add to that the fact that Boetsch is reportedly on the last fight of his current UFC contract, and the 36-year-old veteran gets additional points for risk.

“He’s probably the best guy in the division, honestly,” Boetsch said. “He’s feared by a lot of people. If you’re afraid to fight somebody, are you really that tough of a fighter? C’mon.”

Check out “The Barbarian” as he talks Souza in the video above.

And for more on UFC 208, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.