BONNYVILLE – Heavyweight Tanner Boser snapped his two-fight losing streak with a knockout win in his latest UFC matchup.
The Bonnyville-native stepped into the octagon against Ovince Saint Preux in Las Vegas during a UFC Fight Night card on Saturday, June 26.
The face-off came just weeks after Boser lost a close decision match to Ilir Latifi on June 5, and would finish off his previous contract with UFC. Although Boser was re-signed before Saturday’s fight, he still entered the ring with the intention of walking away with the victory.
“You always try your hardest to win. It’s not something that is up in the air. But I did definitely approach it differently. I’m going to be leaping at him, throwing some big shots and either I’m going to get him or he’s going to get me.”
Boser added, “I was happy that at least the sentiment was there but you can be cut after any loss. The contracts are very one-sided, so it didn’t really matter. If you come off with three losses and maybe you get the good grace on that because I took it short notice, but if I were to lose four, if anybody were to lose four, that would be that. It’s nice to have that new contract and it’s good that they want me around but I was still in a must-win situation.”
Boser told Lakeland This Week that he was able to establish his striking early in round one and it was “smooth sailing” for him throughout the rest of the match.
“He took me down in round two for a little bit, but he wasn’t overly close to getting me in any position that had me worried,” he recalled. “Then I got up. He was already beaten up, so I tried, and I finished him.”
The match had a bit of controversy for Boser. When he was getting up, it appeared to the commentators that he had broken a UFC rule by putting his fingers through the cage. It turned out to not be the case.
“I didn’t grab the cage, and on the replay from an angle where you can see it clearly, I 100 per cent didn’t grab the cage,” Boser stressed. “It’s not even a question at this point, but because of the way it was perceived initially by (the commentators), and the way they reacted to it, there was somehow a bit of controversy. But, there’s nothing controversial about it - I didn’t grab the fence, I was completely legal.”
This win puts the six-foot-two, 247-pound fighter’s UFC record at 4-3-0. This is his third knockout win.
Boser will spend the next couple of weeks quarantined. He plans on hitting the gym as soon as he’s able to.
He told Lakeland This Week he may accept another fight in the fall.
Robynne Henry, Bonnyville Nouvelle
