Alberta's premier heavyweights renew their rivalry with the vacant heavyweight belt at stake.
Edmonton's Christian Larsen (4-1) seeks retribution when he meets Medicine Hat's Jared Kilkenny (13-11) at Unified 38 on Saturday evening at the River Cree Resort and Casino. Their first encounter took place in November 2017, where Kilkenny picked up a first-round stoppage. But those were different fighters, and plenty can shift between now and then.
"I feel like I've leveled up," Larsen told reporters.
"My clash with Jared came early in my career — only a year into my fighting days, my third outing, and my first time squaring off against someone noteworthy. It was a steep climb in competition; I dropped a few silly mistakes and my inexperience worked against me. I've put together some strong performances since, and just sparring alongside the lads for another two years has made a massive difference. I walk into the cage with far more conviction in my game plan."
Larsen, 32, continues to sharpen his craft, and with four career victories all coming via stoppage, he embodies the heavyweight slugger.
On the other side, Kilkenny, 37, has logged more than 20 bouts and will be equipped for whatever direction the fight takes.
"He's got heavy hands that aren't going anywhere," Kilkenny remarked in an interview. "But I don't picture him being the same guy he was back then."
"I've tweaked my camp, especially my strength and conditioning. I'm quicker on my feet, more mobile, and I lean on my footwork a lot more. I've also made strides on the mat. My preference is still to chase finishes with my hands, but sometimes the fight demands a takedown or a submission, and I won't shy away from that this time."
This marks Kilkenny's second shot at the Unified MMA heavyweight championship. In May, he fell to newly signed UFC heavyweight Tanner Boser at Unified 37 — a fellow who happens to be one of Larsen's training partners.
That showing earned him greater admiration from fellow fighters, and Larsen was among the most notably convinced.
“Jared is a guy I wish I could hate given the loss to him, but he’s a hard guy not to like.” said Larsen
“I think it was an impressive showing against Tanner, going four rounds with him, he kept his composure. Regardless of the outcome, it was an impressive performance.”
Boser and Larsen, however, couldn’t be more different when it comes to fighting styles and Larsen doesn’t expect much will translate over from Kilkenny’s last title shot.
“It’s going to be an entirely different game-plan I’m sure when he comes up against me,” Larsen said.
“Cardio and everything else is going to be much less of a deciding factor. Especially coming off two losses, I expect he’s going to be coming out to prove a point and I’m ready for that.”
Kilkenny’s loss to Boser was a great learning experience for the veteran, especially for a heavyweight who looks to finish fights early and often.
“The only thing I know for sure is that I’m getting the win. I don’t care where it goes or how it happens,” Kilkenny said.
“I see myself staying on the outside and choosing when to engage, using my footwork and hand speed to attack when I want and be gone. I’m actually going to try and implement a little bit of Tanner Boser. When I lose, I learn, and I learned that footwork and movement on the outside can be an effective strategy.”
Although he mentioned he never wants to look too far ahead, Kilkenny said a particular Canadian heavyweight got the attention of both he and Larsen in the buildup to their title fight.
“It’s kind of funny, the last time Chris and I chatted a couple days ago, it was because this douche bag Dustin Joynson decided to chime in on our fight,” Kilkenny said.
“He said ‘I’ll take the winner.’ And the fact of the matter is Chris and I both tried to fight Dustin probably half a dozen times previous to this. He acts like a pussy, goes out and fights like a pussy and then decides to call us out. We both had a good laugh about it. I would love to fight Dustin Joynson. He’s never defended any of his belts, so after I win this one I’d be happy to put it on the line against him.”
Larsen, meanwhile, would love to take his talents overseas if he had the opportunity.
“Obviously I have to defend the belt first, but if all goes well, I think I’d be looking to go somewhere else. ONE FC and stuff like that are places we’ve been looking at,” Larsen said.
“I think it’d be cool to punch people in the head and check out some cool places in the meantime.”
But at this moment, Sept. 27 is all that occupies the minds of each fighter. Months of training has led them to this weekend and years of training has led them to this moment.
Only one man leaves the cage Unified MMA heavyweight champion, and Larsen is confident he will be the one to fill the shoes of his long-time training partner.
“It would be huge, even just the fact that it’s Tanner Boser’s belt is kind of poetic,” Larsen said.
“He’s the guy that got me started in the sport, so this fight has a lot of meaning for me in that regard as well. Also, just to be able to showcase my talent at this level and get that strap is huge. It’s a vacant title, but I’m looking at this as a title defense. I have to keep the belt at our gym, Shaved Bears MMA, and an early round knockout is what I’m expecting.”
Kilkenny’s Shoutouts
“My grandfather passed away last Monday. He never had the opportunity to see me fight live, so this one is going out to him. I’m bringing the belt home for grandpa.” Follow Kilkenny on social media: INSTAGRAM
Larsen’s Shoutouts
"I couldn't have done it without the crew at Shaved Bears MMA and Three Monkeys Tattoo and Apparel." Stay connected with Larsen online: FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM
