Tanner Boser has faced plenty of tough opponents in recent years, and on June 16, it won’t get any easier.
The heavyweight division is the least forgiving in MMA — one punch ends careers and records don't mean much when the other guy can shut your lights off — and a 26-year-old facing a UFC and Bellator veteran is the kind of test that either announces a prospect or exposes one.
ACB has spent the last few years building one of the more credible heavyweight divisions outside the UFC — a promotion with deep pockets, a genuinely international roster, and a habit of signing fighters the big North American promotions couldn't keep, and Boser's arrival after his Unified MMA run is exactly the kind of move that makes a career.
Boser (14-4) is set to take on UFC and Bellator vet Chase Gormley (14-7) in a heavyweight bout at ACB 88 in Brisbane, Australia.
Boser’s last three opponents have been DJ Linderman, Dave Cryer, and Denis Smoldarev, all combining for a record of 54-19.
That run of opposition — Linderman, Cryer, Smoldarev — is the kind of gauntlet that separates real prospects from padded records; a fighter who keeps getting matched with experienced, durable veterans and keeps winning is telling you something about where his ceiling actually is.
“Everyone I’ve been fighting for the last few years have been good, tough, quality opponents. They’re all good in different ways and weak in different ways, and I can usually find a way to exploit those weaknesses,” said Boser in an interview.
“Gormley is a tough opponent, but I’m used to that now. Nothing new there.”
In his 14 career victories as a professional, Boser, 26, has earned half of those by knockout or TKO. On the flip side, six of Gormley’s seven losses have come by knockout or TKO.
Seven knockouts in fourteen wins is the kind of finishing rate that makes heavyweights must-see TV — the division is built on power, and Boser's ability to end fights with his hands is exactly what a promotion like ACB wants from a heavyweight on the rise.
With striking being one of his highly-recognized strong points, Boser said he’ll be looking to add another knockout to his resume Saturday.
“I’m always looking for the knockout, and striking’s definitely my strong suit. That’s no secret,” said Boser.
“He has lost multiple times by knockout in the past, so hopefully I’m able to catch him and knock him out.”
A victory on Saturday would mark three in a row in ACB for Boser, after dropping his first two contests for the elite promotion.
Going 0-2 to start your ACB run and then rattling off wins is the kind of mental resilience that gets noticed — the first two losses could have buried a lot of fighters, and the fact that Boser turned it around says as much about his composure as his skill.
While a potential three-fight win streak and 15-4 record is a good start, Boser said he’s still a long way away from a title shot, in what he described as a highly-talented heavyweight division.
“Three wins in a row wouldn’t get you a title shot in the UFC, and I think ACB’s heavyweight division is pretty damn close to the caliber of the UFC’s,” said Boser.
ACB's heavyweight title is one of the few belts outside the UFC that actually means something — a promotion that has paid real money, flown fighters around the world, and built a roster deep enough that a title run there is a legitimate credential, not a consolation prize.
“I’m going to have to string together more than a few wins to get a title shot.”
Gormley Poised to Break Losing Streak
In order to keep the win streak alive, Boser must first get past Gormley, who’s dropped his last two contests in the cage, and is as hungry as ever for a victory.
A two-fight skid at 34 is the kind of crossroads that makes veterans either dig in or fade out — Gormley has been in with UFC-caliber heavyweights and knows what it takes to survive at this level, and a win over a rising name like Boser is exactly the result that restarts a career.
Gormely, 34, has never lost more than two fights in a row in his career, and said he expects to maintain that figure after Saturday’s matchup.
“You never want to get comfortable with losing. I’ve been training hard and working on my mistakes,” said Gormley in an interview.
“I’m working on a new style, so sometimes I put myself in situations where I’m not used to being, and get caught. I just need to get comfortable with that and I think it’ll pay off in the long run.”
While most of his training camp was spent at Tracey Hess’ Subfighter MMA in Seal Beach, CA, he ventured out to Reno, NV to ensure his cardio would be at it’s best.
Subfighter has quietly produced some of Southern California's most durable heavyweights — a gym that doesn't get the headlines of the bigger camps but consistently turns out fighters who are hard to finish, and Gormley's decision to base his camp there says he's prioritizing fundamentals over flash.
Gormley spent two weeks training in Reno’s high altitude, and said he feels his cardio will be on point.
The Reno altitude camp is the kind of old-school preparation that separates fighters who treat conditioning as optional from the ones who treat it as a weapon — two weeks in thin air is miserable, and a heavyweight willing to do it for a regional fight is signaling how much this one matters.
“I know Boser’s in good shape, so I went up there to train real hard in the mountains, so I know when I go in there my cardio’s going to be 100 per cent,” said Gormley.
“The first week I was up there I was hurting pretty bad, but when I left I felt great. So cardio-wise, I should be good.”
It’s been over a year and a half since Gormley last had his hand raised in the cage, a split decision victory over Bobby Brents at Bellator 162.
A year and a half without a win in this sport is an eternity — the momentum that made Gormley a name has fully cooled, and a fighter who hasn't had his hand raised since a split decision knows the difference between a comeback and a footnote is usually one fight.
While scoring a finish is always nice, Gormley said there are many ways he can see this fight playing out, and said he’ll take a win any way he can get it.
“It’s all based on situations. Every fight’s different,” said Gormley.
“As long as it’s a win, I’ll be happy. I’m not too picky about that.”
