Canada celebrated a perfect night as their fighters dominated at UFC Fight Island 3.
In the heavyweight division, Tanner Boser (now 19-6-1) secured back-to-back knockout wins, catching Raphael Pessoa (now 10-2) with a devastating left hook to the eye. The strike sent Pessoa to his knees, allowing Boser to follow up against the cage for the finish.
Just weeks earlier, Boser had earned another stunning knockout in Las Vegas against Philipe Lins, before quickly pivoting to face Pessoa in his next bout.
The fighter described the past month as whirlwind, though the outcomes—including his first $50k performance-of-the-night bonus—made every moment worthwhile.
"I'm thrilled," Boser shared during his post-fight press conference. "Two wins, two finishes, and I barely had time to prepare properly since this fight came together so late."
"All I had to do was hop on a plane, fly down, and give it my best shot. Everything fell into place."
Jesse Ronson (now 22-10) also entered the card at short notice and delivered a standout performance in his UFC comeback. The Nicolas Dalby (now 18-4-1) matchup ended in the first round when Ronson caught Dalby in a rear-naked choke. The submission was set up by a sharp striking combination that sent Dalby crashing to the canvas.
During Ronson's initial UFC run, he fell to 0-3, with every loss decided by split decision. Over six years later, his return win carried immense personal significance.
"This is surreal," Ronson admitted at his post-fight press conference. "I've dreamed about securing a UFC victory since I first turned professional."
"That elusive win slipped away between 2013 and 2014, but honestly, this feels better than any birthday or Christmas I could ask for."
Boser executed game-plan perfectly
At 235 pounds without making weight cuts, Boser appeared visibly smaller than Pessoa, who had trimmed down from well above the 265-pound heavyweight limit.
Despite the size disparity, Boser ruled out dropping to light heavyweight, insisting his strategy against the heavier opponent proved effective.
"He was massive—I believe he cut weight. I think he hit 275; he's enormous even for this division," Boser observed.
"My approach worked perfectly; chip away at him, slow his pace, and land the heavy shots when the moment was right. It's working, so there's no reason to change it."
After his knockout of Lins on June 27, Boser reported a notable surge in his social media presence and increased media interest.
He acknowledged the growing attention but remains cautious about becoming overly focused on external validation.
"You have to stay grounded because while everyone is praising you now, the moment you stumble, the same people will tear you apart," Boser explained.
"I'm certainly aware of it, but I'm not naive—I focus on staying humble."
Ronson cashes in with finish
Ronson enters the conversation as a proven finisher throughout his fighting career, yet Dalby had never been submitted in his entire mixed martial arts journey.
By becoming the first fighter to submit Dalby, Ronson matched Boser in earning a $50k bonus for his outstanding performance.
"I was gunning for a TKO, but he's got a strong chin. He just offered his neck when he turned, and that was all I needed," Ronson recalled.
"I wasn't releasing—when someone hands me that opening, I'm taking everything. I held on tight and wrung him out completely."
A natural lightweight, Ronson moved up to welterweight to seize the short-notice opportunity against Dalby.
Looking ahead, Ronson confirmed he intends to compete in the lightweight division and specifically mentioned Luis Pena and Jalin Turner as fighters he'd love to face in his next outing.
"I spend most of my training sparring with taller opponents, and I tear their legs apart. I'm not intimidated by height, and I specialize in body work," Ronson boasted.
"Those two are the tallest fighters in the division, so line them up back-to-back—I'm game. One or both works for me. Those are simply the two matchups I want."
