Unified MMA 37 was all about the Shaved Bears.
Every single professional matchup on the card featured competitors coming from Edmonton-based Shaved Bears MMA, and all seven fighters walked away victorious Friday evening in Enoch, Alta.
Headlining the card, Tanner Boser (now 16-5-1) capitalized on his return to the Unified MMA ring by retaining his Unified MMA heavyweight title via fourth-round TKO stoppage of Jared Kilkenny (now 13-11).
"It felt really good. I love competing in front of my hometown supporters," Boser shared after the bout.
"I'm glad so many people showed up to see me fight. Edmonton has always supported me, and Unified MMA is where my career found its footing."
Until the fourth-round ending, Boser controlled proceedings with a measured approach, mixing combinations and finding success across all ranges against Kilkenny.
The fight was brought to a close when Boser delivered a damaging leg kick that buckled Kilkenny beneath him, prompting the referee to step between them.
Though Kilkenny pushed back on the stoppage decision, Boser later explained he knew the leg he struck was going to fail regardless of what happened next.
"Winning is what I do. The referee called it, and I'm satisfied," Boser noted.
"Jared's an extremely tough opponent, and I respect that he'd likely have gotten back up and started swinging again, but I truly believe this finish was inevitable at that point."
Ash Ready For UFC Debut
In the co-main event, Teddy Ash (now 14-4) retained his light heavyweight championship with a first-round TKO victory against Neil Berry (8-9).
Berry came out aggressively, unleashing numerous kicks and attempting to pin Ash against the fence until the referee broke them apart, giving Ash the opening to land the strike that set up the finish.
Despite Berry holding a clear size advantage, Ash described his game plan as simply feeling out his opponent, maintaining patience, and waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.
