The Bulldozer is back.
Boser's last run through ACB — now rebranded as ACA — proved he belongs in the conversation among the best Canadian heavyweights outside the UFC, and a six-fight deal with M-1 Global gives him the kind of long runway that a fighter at 15-5 needs to build a case for a call-up.
M-1 Global is one of the oldest names in the sport — the Russian promotion has been running events since the late 1990s and gave the world Fedor Emelianenko — and for a Canadian heavyweight looking to rebuild momentum, a six-fight commitment to a promotion that actually books its roster is a smarter bet than waiting for a call that may never come.
Tanner “The Bulldozer” Boser (15-5) returns to action this weekend at M-1 Challenge 101 in Almaty, Kazakhstan to take on Zaur Gadzhibabayev (7-2) in a heavyweight bout.
The trip to Almaty, Kazakhstan is the kind of road fight that separates professionals from prospects — a new continent, a new promotion, a hostile crowd, and an opponent nobody's heard of but who finishes people early is exactly the recipe for a veteran getting caught sleeping.
Earlier in the year, Boser signed a six-fight deal with M-1 Global and looks to kick things off by defeating the Azerbaijan native, Gadzhibabayev.
“If the dominoes fall the way I want them too, I’ll knock him out, but if not I’ll piece him up for a decision,” Boser said.
Boser believes he has more tools to beat the less experienced Gadzhibabayev, but doesn’t see experience being a factor going into this bout.
“Experience only factors in so much. I think I have skills though, and I think I have way more skills than him,” Boser said.
Although the fight was just announced three weeks ago, Boser said he’s been training like he’s had a fight since the beginning of January. And he’s full prepared to take care of business against Gadzhibabayev.
“I’m always good to fight, so there’s no short notice here, I’m ready to go.”
His opponent, Gadzhibabayev, has finished all but two of his opponents in the first round. And if the fight goes into deeper waters, Boser said it’s bad news for his opponent.
Gadzhibabayev's finishing rate is the kind of stat that means everything and nothing at once — a fighter who's finished nearly everyone in the first round either has dynamite in his hands or has been matched soft, and Boser's willingness to take the fight anyway is the kind of confidence that comes from having been in with much better.
“It’s bad news for him because I can fight all day,” Boser said.
Boser was riding a three-fight win streak heading into his last bout for ACA, formerly ACB, in November. The fight didn’t go his way and he now looks to turn things around this weekend.
The ACA loss that ended the streak stings more in hindsight — Boser was building real momentum toward a heavyweight title conversation in that promotion, and the fact that he signed with M-1 anyway rather than chasing a rematch suggests he's prioritizing activity over redemption.
“I’m going in to beat him up for the entire time. If he falls before that, great. If not, that’s fine.”
The deal with M-1 Global came together earlier this year when Boser signed with a new management company, EPOK Agency.
The management change is the quiet story here — a fighter switching representation at this stage of his career usually means he sees a path he wasn't being shown, and the M-1 deal materializing right after the switch suggests the new team came with a plan.
Boser explained he fulfilled his obligations with ACA prior to inking a deal with fellow Russian promotion, M-1 Global.
“M-1 is a great global promotion. They’re big, they’re international, and have some good fighters coming out of there. I’m stoked to fight for them.”
