Thales Leites and Tim Boestch will collide in a pivotal middleweight match up this Saturday (Jan. 31, 2015) at UFC 183 inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Between these two veterans, what adjustments must be made for either man in order to claim victory? Find out how below!
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweights Thales Leites and Tim Boestch will battle for a position in the top 10 this Saturday (Jan. 31, 2015) at UFC 183 inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Leites is in the midst of career revival that very few people expected. After being cut back in 2009, Leites is an impressive 11-1, including his current eight-fight winning streak. If Leites takes out "The Barbarian," a discussion about moving him into the top 10 is more than necessary.
On the other hand, Boestch has looked remarkably average. He's won just two of his last five fights, and even those are far from quality wins. Dollaway deserved the decision in their bout, while Boestch was getting tuned up by Brad Tavares prior to landing a powerful left hand.
Let's take a look at the keys to victory for each fighter.
Thales Leites
Record: 24-4
Key Wins: Francis Carmont (UFC Fight Night 49), Tom Watson (UFC 163), Ed Herman (UFC 167)
Key Losses: Anderson Silva (UFC 97), Alessio Sakara (UFC 101)
Keys to Victory: Leites has been one of the very best grapplers in the middleweight division for some time, having secured 13 submission wins across his career. In his current UFC run, Leites has been showcasing his improved power, as he's finished his last two opponent's via knockout.
In this bout, Leites has a distinct advantage in each area except perhaps pure wrestling. Even there, Leites is quite formidable, as he showed in grinding wins over Herman and Watson.
In order to take out Boestch, Leites just needs to keep the pressure on his foe. Recently, both Dollaway and Tavares found plenty of success in push Boestch against the fence and simply beating him up. That was once thought to be Boestch's strong suit, but that no longer seems to be the case.
Plus, Boestch doesn't strike particularly well off his back foot. Basically, that means if Leites pressures Boestch, he's the better fighter both at range and in the clinch. Plus, if he manages to get Boestch to the mat, there's always that Nova Uniao jiu-jitsu black belt to use.
Overall, Leites just needs to be wary Boestch's power punches. Even if his foe's skills may be regressing or not up to par, Boestch's heart and power cannot be questioned.
Tim Boestch
Record: 18-7
Key Wins: Brad Tavares (UFC Fight Night 47), Hector Lombard (UFC 149), Yushin Okami (UFC 144)
Key Losses: Luke Rockhold (UFC 172), Mark Munoz (UFC 162), Costa Philippou (UFC 155)
Keys to Victory: Boestch is a talented wrestler with some heavy hands, which have resulted in eight knockout wins. "The Barbarian" lives up to his nickname and fights like a brute, as he usually pushes forward, grinds in the clinch, and looks to slam his foe to the mat with takedowns.
To be quite honest, there aren't a lot of clear paths to victory for Boestch. Overall, it would probably be best for him to aggressively pursue takedowns against the fence, where he would hopefully be able to at least control and tire his opponent.
Still, that doesn't seem very likely to work, as his opponent is quite the clinch grappler himself. In short, that means life will probably get very difficult for Boestch on Saturday night.
Luckily, "The Barbarian" is phenomenal at finding a way to win. Whether that's pulling off incredible comeback knockouts -- like the ones against Yushin Okami and Tavares -- or simply inching his way to a close victory, Boestch simply makes things happen.
On a side note, Boestch's front kick is one of the best tools in his arsenal and could be a major player in this fight. Leites will occasionally pursue the clinch while hunched over, meaning a well-timed front kick could drastically alter this fight.
Bottom Line: The winner of this bout will be considered a fringe contender in the middleweight division.
Leites is on a very impressive streak right now, and the Brazilian has little inclination to slow down. If he works his way through Boestch, he's undoubtedly earned a match up with a top 10 fighters. A five fight win streak over middleweight veterans is definitely nothing to scoff at it.
However, a loss to Boestch would likely eliminated his chances of making it into the top 10 any time soon. As impressive as recent performances have been, middleweight is too jammed up with contenders to taste defeat in any pivotal match ups.
If Boestch manages to halt Leites' rise, it would certainly cement his position as a top 15 fighter. Leites has looked like an elite fighter lately, meaning Boestch has an opportunity to pick up a very high quality victory here. He just needs to find a way to win in classic Boestch fashion.
On the other hand, a loss would solidify the opinion that Boestch cannot consistently compete with the best middleweights. He's not in a position to be cut or anything like that, but it would make it unlikely for Boestch to get many more high-profile match ups.
At UFC 183, Thales Leites and Tim Boestch will both look to advance in the UFC's middleweight division. Which man will climb further up the rankings?
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