Boser, Kilkenny clash for Heavyweight Title at Unified 37
May 6, 2019
EDMONTON — Tanner Boser makes his long-awaited return to the Unified MMA cage when he defends his Heavyweight Championship against challenger Jared Kilkenny at Unified 37 on May 24 at River Cree Resort & Casino.
This is Boser’s first match in Alberta since 2016, when he successfully defended his title against ProFightLeague standout Rakim Cleveland. Since then, “The Bulldozer” has taken his talents to the global stage, competing across Europe and as far away as Australia.
“I’ve been fighting almost exclusively outside of Canada for over two years now,” Boser says after signing his bout agreement on the dotted line. “It will be a great feeling to once again fight in front of my home crowd, in front of my friends and family, for Unified. Unified is where I started my career, it helped me become the fighter I am.
“I’m coming back to put on a show. Kilkenny is dangerous. He’s a big man and he’s skilled in multiple facets of MMA. However, I’m the first, fourth, and current Unified heavyweight champ, and I don’t plan on there being anyone new wearing that belt after May 24.”
Kilkenny steps into battle for the 24th time since his 2006 professional debut. The hard-hitting heavyweight has mixed it up with a who’s who of top Canadian heavyweight contenders since then, most recently scoring a first-round victory over the previously unbeaten Christian Larsen and a three-second KO win over TUF vet Tyler King.
“It’s no secret I’ve wanted to fight Tanner for years,” Kilkenny says, “but it’s not some blown-up, drama-heavy, promotional feud, or some testosterone-driven ‘throwing a dolly at a bus’-type fiasco. It’s because he’s the best. Plain and simple. That’s it. That’s all. I’ve been around the block. I’m no rookie to this sport. I’m interested in testing myself against the best, as any true fighter should. If you look up Canadian heavyweight MMA rankings over the last few years, you’d undoubtedly see Tanners name right at the top.
“Ric Flair said it best: ‘To be the best, you gotta be the best, woo!’ But, truthfully, I expect a great fight against Tanner. Truly conducive of what the fans have come to expect from Unified MMA; a high-paced, big-action exhibition of skill. Lots of movement, and lots of fireworks. If fans want to crown the true king of the heavyweights, this is the fight for them.”
Unified 37, which goes down May 24 at River Cree Resort & Casino, also features Teddy Ash, KB Bhullar, Cody Krahn, Neal Anderson, Craig Shintani, Roger Alves, Gurjeet Bilkhu and more much!
