EDMONTON — Marcus Sursa lets out a quick laugh when asked if his upcoming Unified MMA Heavyweight Championship bout will be the first time he’s fought for a title.

A pro fighter since 2005, the affable Texas heavyweight contender has been in more title fights than he’s got time to list heading into his main event bout with Tanner Boser at Unified MMA 29 on December 16 in Edmonton.

The Black House MMA fighter has also shared the cage with several high-level fighters like Stefan Struve and Alan Belcher, most recently scoring a knockout win over 12-time UFC vet Thiago Silva.

“My nickname should be ‘Main Event’ Marcus Sursa, because I don’t fight in anything but the main event, and only with the toughest guy in the building,” laughs Sursa, a Bellator MMA and Glory kickboxing vet.

That being said, Sursa jumped at the opportunity to take on Boser, Canada’s undisputed top heavyweight.

“He’s a tough guy who likes to stand and bang on the feet, and it looks like he’s also got some skills on the ground,” Sursa says. “He’s won the title and defended the title for a reason, so we’ll see what happens on December 16 in Edmonton.

“He’s definitely got the best hair out of all my opponents,” he adds with another laugh. “I love his style.”

When pressed a little further, Sursa, who trains alongside a number of UFC fighters at the famed Black House MMA academy, predicts he’ll notch his 16th career stoppage victory over Boser.

“It will feel amazing to have that belt around my waist, but it’s going to feel even better to bring it home to my children and my parents,” Sursa says. “I wouldn’t be able to do this without my family, so bringing a belt back to them will make it all worthwhile.”

All tables and VIP tickets are currently sold out for Unified MMA 29 on December 16 in Edmonton. General admission tickets are available at www.UnifiedMMA.ca/tickets.

In co-main event action, Garret Nybakken will defend his Unified MMA Lightweight Championship in a grudge rematch with Aaron Bosiak, after the two clashed in June.

A 17-fight vet, Nybakken is looking for his fifth straight finish at the expense of Bosiak. Bosiak, meanwhile, fights to avenge the one loss of his professional career.

In the other co-main event bout, Teddy Ash takes on Brendan Kornberger for the vacant Unified MMA Middleweight Championship.

Ash, a hard-hitting Fort McMurray product, is gunning for his third straight, first-round finish, while Richmond, B.C.’s Kornberger tries to notch his sixth stoppage victory.

In Mike Scarcello’s ninth trip to the Unified MMA cage, the surging lightweight will take on his toughest assignment yet, Prince Edward Island’s Lenny Wheeler, who’s finished three of his past four opponents in less than a minute.

Montreal-born Edmonton fighter Menad Abella will look to remain undefeated, and improve to 4-0, versus three-time Unified MMA vet Dustin Greentree, who is 2-1 as a pro after a standout 4-0 amateur career.

In preliminary card action, heavyweight prospect Christian Larson tries to continue his undefeated warpath against Josh Heinz, who has three wins by first-round stoppage.

In a rematch that’s been nearly 18 months in the making, Jake Poitras looks to avenge his 2015 knockout loss to Jordan Bittner.

To open up the action, Saskatoon fighters Blair Turnquist and Cory Chambers will make their Unified MMA debuts versus Phil Engeroff and Gurjeet Bilkhu, respectively.

All tables and VIP tickets are currently sold out for Unified MMA 29 on December 16 in Edmonton. General admission tickets are available at www.UnifiedMMA.ca/tickets.