A 185 lbs. bout between top 10 competitors “The Barbarian” and Rockhold has been announced for UFC 166.
Tim Boetsch scheduled to face Luke Rockhold at UFC 166
UFC officials confirmed the bout with ESPN.com staff in the wee hours of this morning.
Tim “The Barbarian” Boetsch (16-6) has been with the UFC since 2010, and has earned himself a stable position in the fringes of the middleweight division’s top 10 fighters. With dynamite in his hands and a nuclear-powered drive, Boestch is a tough out for all but the very best in the division. He has struggled as of late, dropping consecutive fights to both Costa Philipou and Mark Munoz respectively, but is never out of a match as long as he’s got room to punch. Will be able to change course and get back into the win column against Luke Rockhold?
Luke Rockhold (10-2) is one of the Strikeforce imports with the most pressure on him to succeed. As the last Strikeforce middleweight champion, then slick grappler from Jackson’s MMA was expected by many to come in, defeat Vitor Belfort, and immediately enter the title-challenge conversation. Belfort, however, had other plans, knocking Rockhold out in the 1st round with a spinning back kick. Now, the 28 year-old AKA product will be looking to rebound against the durable Boetsch and work his way up to a UFC middleweight title shot. Will he be to best “The Barbarian” and begin his ascent?
UFC 166 takes place in the Toyota Center in Houston, TX on Oct. 19th, 2013. The card is currently headlined by a heavyweight title trilogy bout between the champion, Cain Velasquez, and his arch-rival Junior dos Santos. Stay tuned to MMASucka.com for more on this and other upcoming events.
