BANGOR — The internationally popular Ultimate Fighting Championship is preparing to make its Maine debut in Augusta at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.

The five bouts will take place on Saturday, Aug. 16 and will start at 10 p.m. The event will be televised nationally on Fox Sports 1, which will celebrate its one-year anniversary the next day

Of the 10 competitors, one name may ring a bell for locals. Tim “The Barbarian” Boetsch, who graduated from Camden Hills Regional High School, will participate in the fight.

Boetsch is not the only person involved in the Maine fight that has a connection to the Pine Tree State. UFC president Dana White is a graduate of Hermon High School.

White broke the news on his Twitter account back on May 8 by tweeting “For all UFC fans in Maine I got Bangor done!! August 15th at the brand new Cross Insurance Center for UFC Fight Night on Fox Sports 1.”

White then followed the tweet up with “Plus Bangor is a 3.5 hour drive from Boston and 2 hours from New Hampshire. This is a big one for me!!! So pumped” White noticed his mistake and then tweeted he was “so excited I tweeted the wrong date it’s Aug 16th @CICBangor (the Cross Insurance Center’s Twitter handle) for UFC Fight Night on Fox Sports 1. Sorry”

Boetsch (17-7) will square off with Brad Tavares (12-3), while Ryan “Darth” Bader (18-4) faces Ovince Saint Preux (16-5), Shawn “The Savage” Jordan (15-6) faces Jack “The Outlaw” May, Tom “Kong” Watson (16-7) faces Sam Alvey (22-5) and Thiago Tavares (22-5-1) faces Robbie “Problems” Peralta (18-4).

According to his fighter information column on Boetsch’s UFC biography page, he is a Lincolnville native, fights out of Sunbury, Pa., and received a degree in criminal justice from Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania.

His biography page on the UFC website also notes the following:

• Four-time state wrestling champion
• High School All-American
• Four-year varsity wrestler at Division I Lock Haven University
• Dan Gable is his hero
• “It means everything [for me to fight in the UFC]. This is where very fighter needs to fight to prove themselves. The best fighters in the world fight in the UFC and those guys you need to mix it up with if you want to get to the top.”
• On when and why he stated training for fighting: Mike Ciesnolevicz, who was my roommate in college and is my best friend, called me and asked me what kind of shape I was in and if I would consider doing an amateur MMA fight in August of 2006. I have been involved in competition my whole life so I wanted to give it a shot. I mauled my first two opponents in under two minutes. I then began training specifically for MMA and had my first pro fight in October of 2006.
• Social worker who worked with adolescents struggling with behavioral issues, prior to fighting, and owns a lawn and landscape business. 
• The body slam is his favorite grappling technique
• “Any punch combo that ends with an uppercut” is his favorite striking technique
• Boetsch listed “Reality Fighting Light Heavyweight Champion, Extreme Challenge Light Heavyweight Champion and Extreme Challenge USKBA Heavyweight Champion” as specific accomplishments in pro competition.

Boestch has claimed victories via seven knockouts, five submissions and five decisions. His losses come by two knockouts, two submissions and three decisions, per Sherdog.com.

To reach George Harvey or to submit tips and scores, email sports@penbaypilot.com.