Tanner Boser has battled through some serious competition lately, and June 16 promises to test him even further.
Boser (14-4) lines up against UFC and Bellator alumnus Chase Gormley (14-7) in a heavyweight matchup at ACB 88 in Brisbane, Australia.
Boser's last three fights have gone against DJ Linderman, Dave Cryer, and Denis Smoldarev, who combined hold a professional record of 54-19.
"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," Boser noted during an interview.
"Gormley is a tough opponent, but I'm used to that now. Nothing new there."
Out of Boser's 14 professional wins, half have arrived via knockout or TKO. Meanwhile, six of Gormley's seven defeats have come by knockout or TKO.
Striking remains one of Boser's most notable strengths, and he plans to add another stoppage to his record this Saturday.
"I'm always looking for the knockout, and striking's definitely my strong suit. That's no secret," Boser explained.
"He has lost multiple times by knockout in the past, so hopefully I'm able to catch him and knock him out."
A Saturday win would give Boser three straight in ACB for Boser, following his initial two losses for the organization.
Even with a potential three-fight winning streak and a 15-4 record, Boser insists he's still far from earning a championship opportunity, describing the highly-talented heavyweight division as exceptionally deep.
"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," Boser remarked.
"I'm going to have to string together more than a few wins to get a title shot."
Gormley Poised to Break Losing Streak
For Boser to extend his winning streak, he first needs to get past Gormley, who has lost his last two bouts inside the cage but remains determined to snap the skid.
Gormely, 34, has never dropped more than two consecutive fights in his career, and he intends to keep that streak intact after Saturday.
"You never want to get comfortable with losing. I've been training hard and working on my mistakes," Gormley shared 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."
Most of Gormley's training camp took place at Tracey Hess' Subfighter MMA in Seal Beach, CA, but he also headed to Reno, NV to fine-tune his conditioning.
Gormley dedicated two weeks to high-altitude training in Reno, reporting that his endurance is ready.
"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," Gormley said.
"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 has been more than a year and a half since Gormley's last victorious moment inside the cage—a split decision win against Bobby Brents at Bellator 162.
While a finish is always appealing, Gormley acknowledges there are several paths to victory and remains open to any outcome that brings him success.
"It's all based on situations. Every fight's different," Gormley commented.
"As long as it's a win, I'll be happy. I'm not too picky about that."
