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Tuesday, Aug 02, 2011

Nick Ring “Not Scared One Little Bit” of Tim Boetsch, Tells Wrestler to “Bring It”

By Kelsey Mowatt

Tim Boetsch recently told FCF that “eyes will be opened” during his upcoming September 24th bout with Nick Ring, due to the fact he plans on using the former TUF competitor as a means to demonstrate just how powerful the former light-heavyweight can be competing at 185lbs. If the comments in fact worried Ring, the undefeated middleweight isn’t about to admit it.

“No; I’m not scared one little bit,” said Ring while discussing Boetsch’s warning that his power, wrestling and punishing top game will prove to be the Canadian’s undoing at UFC 135. “You know what? Bring it buddy.”

Boetsch is coming off an impressive debut at middleweight in May, when he utilized his wrestling and size to score a dominant, unanimous decision win over Kendall Grove. Although Boetsch had demonstrated his power while competing in the Octagon as a light-heavyweight, his ability to control Grove at UFC 130 was rather evident.

“I’m not going to even elaborate on that,” said Ring, when asked if he wanted to expand on why he feels he’ll be able to negate Boetsch’s top game. “That’s definitely a big strength of his but I guess we’ll see there eh?”

Ring concedes that Boetsch will likely be the bigger and stronger man when they meet next month, due to the fact that the Calgary fighter only cuts a few pounds to make 185lbs.

“If you give up size, you give up size,” said Ring, who will fight Boetsch in Denver, Colorado. “I know he’s a powerful man but I think I’ll be able to deal with it.”

Boetsch (13-4) also cited Ring’s (12-0) performance against Riki Fukuda, as evidence to why he believes the 12-0 fighter will have difficulties avoiding being taken down and controlled from above. Although Ring was awarded a unanimous decision win over the Japanese fighter at UFC 127 in February, many observers had Fukuda winning the bout.

“Riki’s a very tough opponent and when you fight guys like that you’re going to have back-and-forth battles,” Ring noted. “A lot of times they’re going to be close, so whatever. I got the decision.”

“It’s MMA so you have to train everything,” Ring added. “I’m not going to focus just on wrestling for this fight; I’m going to train in it and I have a good crew, but I don’t think I necessarily have to worry too much about it. He’s got good wrestling, I know, but I have a lot of things I can use too.”

While Boetsch credited Ring for his Muay Thai, which the 32 year-old also received praise for during his stint on TUF 11, the fighter is coming off an impressive win over James Head that showcased his jiu-jitsu abilities as well. Ring trains out of Calgary’s BDB Martial Arts facility, alongside decorated BJJ black belts, Brian and Sheila Bird.

“Obviously that fight was a little more one sided,” said Ring while discussing his third round, submission victory over Head at UFC 131. “It was a lot more in my favor so I think it did vindicate me a lot…onward and upward though. Time to move on to the next opponent.”

Although a victory over Boetsch would likely see Ring face another established name in his fourth Octagon bout, the Bellator vet isn’t focusing on what lies beyond September 24th.

“I would think so, but I don’t really want to look past this guy,” said Ring, while discussing whether an even higher profile bout will come next provided he defeats Boetsch. “Right now it’s just time to work; I don’t like to talk beyond a fight. I just want to get past this one and then we’ll worry about whose next.”

Ring was forced to withdraw from TUF 11 due to yet another knee injury, which at the time, had some wondering whether the fighter’s promising career was going to be brought to a premature end. According to Ring, however, the health of his knee is no longer his foremost concern.

“I had my third ACL reconstruction and it’s honestly back up to 100%,” Ring reported. “I don’t notice any functional difference whatsoever. There was a period in my career, after my second ACL surgery, that a surgeon told me that I was done fighting…I just decided that I would keep going until I blew it out again.”

“That’s exactly what happened,” Ring noted. “It blew on “The Ultimate Fighter” show; I went and got surgery, got a better surgeon, Dr. Laurie Hiemstra, and she fixed it up…Ever since I saw her my knee has been great.”

 

 

posted by FCF Staff @ 3:09 pm
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