On Saturday night, middleweights Tim Boetsch and Costa Philippou will do battle in a clash between fighters who are each pulling a freight train worth of momentum behind them. When competing at 185 pounds, the two have a combined record of 8-0 inside the Octagon.
But Boetsch hasn’t always been a middleweight. In fact, he fought six times in the UFC before making the much-needed move.
With a UFC record of 3-3, “The Barbarian” had suffered losses to Matt Hamill, Phil Davis and Jason Brilz. In each shortcoming, he lost to a larger man with a considerable wrestling background. So what chance would he have against the elite light heavyweights like Rashad Evans, Dan Henderson and Jon Jones who could each wrestle an elephant in their sleep?
Despite the need to lose 20 pounds, the muscled Boetsch did his homework and realized that a drop to middleweight was possible. It proved to be the best thing that ever happened to him, as he is ranked in the division’s top five and has wins over Yushin Okami and Hector Lombard.
Boetsch isn’t the only UFC star who has saved himself by cutting down to a smaller division. Here is a look at nine UFC fighters who saved their careers by dropping weight.