'Who gets to keep their job?' - Tanner Boser is prepping for a high-stakes fight with Ilir Latifi at UFC Vegas 28 [Exclusive]

Tanner Boser is prepping for a high-stakes fight with Ilir Latifi at UFC Vegas 28.

Speaking to Sportskeeda’s John Hyon Ko, Canadian heavyweight MMA star Tanner Boser talked about multiple topics.

Boser was asked about having an athlete trading card featuring him, in response to which he noted that it wasn’t necessarily his goal to be on a trading card. Nevertheless, he believes that it’s good to have his name on one. Boser recalled that he used to collect trading cards in his younger years, primarily Pokemon cards and later UFC cards of his favorite fighters.

Concerning his aim to be in the next EA Sports UFC video game, Tanner Boser opined that he doesn’t play video games. Boser isn’t worried about whether or not he gets added to the game but would be okay with being added to it.

Additionally, Tanner Boser was asked about his goals. He addressed this question by explaining that he’s never been one to set lofty long-term goals for himself. Boser added that he’s a short-term goal person and likes to do things step-by-step.

Tanner Boser highlighted that his current goal is to win his upcoming fight and stay in the UFC. He was then asked whether long-term goals veer people off the right path, be it fighting or in anything else in life.

The 29-year-old Tanner Boser replied by saying that whether or not long-term goals benefit or hurt someone, differs depending on the individual. Boser also suggested that a vague goal he’s been using for a long time has been that he wants to be ‘good’. As in, Boser keeps striving to be a good fighter and ensures that he keeps improving.

Upon being asked about what was going through his head after the loss to MMA legend Andrei Arlovski in his most recent fight, Tanner Boser revealed –

“Oh, I felt like sh** for a long time. I just didn’t do enough, you know. Obviously, it was a boring fight. And I didn’t do enough. And then at the time, in the fight, hard to really quantify, but I guess I thought I was winning. I thought he had to do something. So, I thought when he would do something, I was gonna capitalize and catch him with the big shots. And he snuck a good one in somehow at the end of most of the rounds. And it was too close of a fight. I was wrong about how the fight looked from the outside. It was really close. And it really could’ve gone either way."

"I have no problems with Arlovski winning that decision. I didn’t do enough. Yeah, I had significant strikes, but he landed some good shots to my head that looked pretty good to the judges. And the thing was not all of them felt like they were overly damaging or anything. So, my brain didn’t register necessarily as really important seeming shots. But they were. They looked good, you know. So, I didn’t do enough is what it really comes down to. And yeah, I’m very critical of my own performance there. I kind of blew a big opportunity I had. And now, as always in this job, I’ve got to win this next one because no matter how good of a streak you’re on, you’re always a couple of losses away from a pink slip.”

Tanner Boser was asked if in-gym adjustments or in-fight adjustments were required after his recent loss against Arlovski. Boser replied by pointing out that it’s a little bit of both. He continued that he’s improved a bit in every aspect of the MMA game. Boser also emphasized that Latifi is a different fighter than Arlovski.

Tanner Boser was also asked if he faced any challenges in the mental realm with regard to his recent fight. Boser clarified that wasn’t the case and that he didn’t do enough in the Arlovski fight. Boser indicated that if the judges had scored the fight in his favor, he probably wouldn’t have been thinking this way about the contest.

Another intriguing point of discussion was the recent judging controversies in MMA fights. Tanner Boser concurred that there may have been some fights where the judges’ scorecards weren’t appropriate. Boser added that he wished his fight against Arlovski would’ve taken place on UFC Fight Island.

He harked back to the UFC 251 Alexander Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway rematch and alluded to Volkanovski landing more volume and Holloway landing more power shots. Volkanovski won that fight on the judges’ scorecards, and Tanner Boser believes that he’d have similarly been awarded the decision win against Arlovski on Fight Island.

Besides, a notable factor influencing Tanner Boser and many other MMA fighters in Canada is the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Boser suggested that the COVID-19 lockdown rules get confusing in Canada, which does make training with others difficult from time to time.

That being said, Tanner Boser clarified that he still ensures he’s a law-abiding citizen and follows the COVID-19 lockdown rules to the best of his abilities.

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Tanner Boser analyzes how his fight with Ilir Latifi will play out

In response to being asked how he sees his fight against Ilir Latifi playing out and whether it’ll be a brawl, akin to a few recent UFC heavyweight fights, Tanner Boser stated:

“Well, if it’s a brawl, then it’s a brawl. But, I mean, I hope it’s not a brawl. I hope it’s just me winning the fight the whole time and not having to engage in a brawl. But I’m willing to. The way I see it playing out, like, I’m gonna have to weather the storm. Like, he punches hard. He comes forward well, and he’s gonna try and wrestle me. I know. It’d be stupid if he didn’t. So, he’s gonna do that. I’m just gonna have to get up. If he’s gonna take me down, I’ll get up or I’ll push. I’ll get off the cage. And right away, I’ve just got to, you know, make it known that I don’t care. You can try and wrestle, and I’m here to fight.”

Tanner Boser had earlier asserted that he’s a short-term goal guy. On that note, we asked Boser about his short-term goals for the rest of 2021. Boser responded by saying:

“Well, I’ve gotta see what happens in this fight. Am I really hurt after or something, you know? If I’m not, if everything is fine, I come out of this alright, I’ll turn around and take a quick fight. Yeah, I would. And then, I mean, I’ve only got two fights left on my contract. So, how can you set a long-term goal? I could lose this fight, lose the next one, and I’m outtie. I could win this fight, win the next one, and be top-15. How can you set a long-term goal? You have to see all the forks in the road, you know, one at a time.”

Furthermore, Tanner Boser expounded upon his high-stakes fight with Ilir Latifi at UFC 264. ‘The Bulldozer’ addressed the stakes and what might happen if he loses, saying:

“I’m cut; not verge, man. I’m out. That’s how it is.” Tanner Boser continued, “It’s stupid. It’s a stupid job.”

Moreover, Tanner Boser reiterated how big of an opportunity he has against a well-known fighter like Ilir Latifi. Boser noted:

“It is. It’s a big fight for both of us. We both need it. If Latifi loses, he’s probably gone. It’s high-stakes, dude. Who wants it? We both want it. Who gets to keep their job? Rock and roll.”

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Tanner Boser is set to clash with Ilir Latifi at UFC Vegas 28

Tanner Boser will face UFC mainstay and veteran MMA stalwart Ilir Latifi at UFC Vegas 28 on June 5th, 2021. Latifi, a longtime light heavyweight competitor, recently moved up to the heavyweight division.

Both fighters are coming off losses in their most recent fights. Tanner Boser’s last fight was a unanimous decision loss against Andrei Arlovski at UFC on ESPN: Santos vs. Teixeira in November 2020. Meanwhile, Ilir Latifi’s last fight was a unanimous decision loss against Derrick Lewis at UFC 247 in February 2020.

The three-round heavyweight bout between Tanner Boser and Ilir Latifi is expected to serve as the headlining bout for the UFC Vegas 28 preliminary card.

Which fighter do you see emerging victorious in this matchup? Sound off in the comments.