After his debut cancellation and his strip club burned, Tanner Boser eager for fresh start at UFC on ESPN 6
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The past few months haven’t been ideal for UFC heavyweight Tanner Boser.
After signing with the UFC earlier this year, he was booked for a homecoming fight against Giacamo Lemos. But just days before their scheduled July clash at UFC 240 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Lemos heavyweight was flagged by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). As a result, the bout was canceled.
“It was frustrating, I was mad, and then I was bummed,” Boser told MMA Junkie. “But that’s in the past. I don’t care any more and I’m over it.”
Healthy and ready to go, Boser tried to have the promotion rebook him as soon as possible. However, the UFC couldn’t find him an opponent for a card that made sense. Boser was in limbo.
That’s when things went from bad to worse. Fighting wasn’t Boser’s only source of income. The Canadian also doubled as a bouncer at a strip club. But that gig came to a screeching halt when the club burned down in late August.
According to reports, the fire that scorched Diamonds Gentlemen’s Club in the Edmonton area was a result of arson. While Boser was able to find new gigs, they haven’t been as ideal.
“My club burned down,” Boser said. “I started working at a bouncer at other clubs. It’s not ideal. I had a pretty good gig where I was at, but it is what it is. Whatever. I have to keep going.”
Dealt a bad hand, Boser (16-5-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will look to turn his luck around when he faces Daniel Spitz (6-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) in the preliminary card opener of UFC on ESPN 6 on Friday at TD Garden in Boston. The card airs on ESPN2.
“… (Financially), it gets a little sketchy. You get to the point where you worry about it, but you have to stay proactive. It never came down to crunch time, but definitely a win bonus wouldn’t hurt me for sure.”
It took Boser 22 fights to get to the UFC cage, fighting for major international organizations along the way. While experience is a major facet of his game, Boser believes there are a few things that set him apart.
“I have 22 fights coming into my pro debut – it’s a lot,” Boser said. “Another thing that sets me apart is my movement and cardio which is pretty atypical for a heavyweight. … You’re going to see a heavyweight that moves and can keep it up for all three rounds.”
When he envisions the fight in his head, Boser sees it playing out in a specific manner. But he also recognizes this is the heavyweight division and anything can happen.
“If you look at my record, I don’t have too many early finishes – but I have some,” Boser said. “Most of my finishes come a little later in the fight. I’m not going to be upset if I knock him out right off the get-go, but I think I’m going to get it done late in the fight.”
