Canadian fans had been getting absolutely battered at UFC Edmonton, with hometown favorites such as Julien Leblanc and Melissa Croden suffering major upsets, but Tanner Boser finally gave the Edmonton crowd something to go wild for.

Fighting in front of his hometown fans at Rogers Place, the 35-year-old put Jhonata Diniz through the wringer, repeatedly dragging the Brazilian heavyweight to the mat before finishing him with a third-round TKO at 4:26.

And boy, did Canada need that one. Every Canadian fighter before Tanner Boser had been stopped on the night, making his victory a much-needed highlight for the home crowd.

‘The Bulldozer’ made life miserable for Diniz at UFC Edmonton with his relentless grappling, controlling the action and eventually forcing the finish. The win also ended a frustrating stretch for the Canadian, who hadn’t picked up a UFC victory since August 2023. He came into the bout off a stoppage loss to Gokhan Saricam, which snapped a two-fight winning streak.

Now, across his last five fights, Boser has three TKO wins over Jhonata Diniz, Vinicius Moreira, and Aleksa Camur, along with stoppage losses to Saricam and Ion Cutelaba.

“I honestly can’t put it into words,” Boser said during his post-fight interview as the Edmonton crowd erupted. “I finally get to make my UFC Edmonton debut in front of you guys. I can’t tell you how much that means to me. Thank you all for the support.”

While the victory gave the home crowd a much-needed reason to celebrate, it is worth noting that Tanner Boser had entered fight week with another subject on his mind: the qualifications of MMA judges.

At UFC Edmonton media day, he questioned whether officials without fighting experience were adequately equipped to score bouts, particularly when controversial decisions could have significant consequences for a fighter’s career.

“They get way more right than they do wrong,” Boser said. “But it’s just that when they get something wrong, it affects somebody’s life in a very, very significant way. It is what it is. It’s just an imperfect system… Who are the judges? Were they fighters? Because if they are not, you don’t really know your logic.”

There’s an interesting twist to Tanner Boser’s criticism of MMA judges, though. His fight against Jhonata Diniz was actually officiated by Jason Herzog, a veteran referee who never competed professionally inside the cage. That said, Herzog isn’t exactly a stranger to martial arts. He holds a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt from JFLO Grappling Academy under Justin Flores and has extensive experience in judo and grappling.

‘The Bulldozer’ also knows what it’s like to have a fight go to the scorecards and not get the result he wanted. The Canadian dropped consecutive decisions to Andrei Arlovski in 2020 and Ilir Latifi in 2021.

While he took responsibility for the loss to Arlovski, he remained convinced he should have gotten the nod against Latifi. Against Diniz, however, ‘The Bulldozer’ made sure there was no need to wait around for the judges to have their say.

The finish gave Edmonton’s fans something to celebrate after a rough night for Canadian fighters and handed the 35-year-old a much-needed win on home soil. Still, the online reaction proved that getting the hometown crowd cheering and winning over everyone watching at home are two very different things.

MMA fans are split after Tanner Boser’s TKO win at UFC Edmonton

Tanner Boser’s performance at UFC Edmonton sparked sharply divided reactions, with some viewers criticizing the slow pace while others applauded his wrestling and ability to execute a clear game plan. The negative comments focused primarily on the entertainment value of the fight, particularly for fans who expected a more explosive heavyweight contest.

One viewer was particularly unimpressed, writing, “What a long, boring, horrible fight. I changed the channel; college football is actually better right now.”

The criticism continued, with one fan declaring, “Canada’s first win of the night was also the most boring fight of the night.” Another complained about the overall event, writing, “Man, I was sleeping and all the fights got finishes again, for another slop event.”

The stoppage also left some viewers unconvinced. “Lousy stoppage, but Diniz would’ve just kept getting mat returned and peppered, so who cares,” one fan commented, questioning the referee’s decision while acknowledging Diniz’s difficulty in stopping Boser’s repeated takedowns.

However, plenty of fans were happy to see the Canadian heavyweight get his hand raised. Supporters praised his grappling, highlighted Jhonata Diniz’s defensive problems, and celebrated the significance of securing a finish in front of his hometown crowd.

“Congrats boser! Tomato can Diniz could not defend a takedown from someone who has never attempted wrestling beforehand,” one fan wrote.

Another summed up the performance with a straightforward compliment: “Bulldozer lived up to the name tonight.”

The importance of the occasion also resonated with supporters. “Nothing beats getting a finish in front of your own people,” one viewer wrote, while another joked, “What a win! Boser should be able to keep Diniz’s cup as a trophy.”

Others defended Tanner Boser’s approach, arguing that the heavyweight had fought intelligently rather than chasing a reckless exchange. “Boser fought smart.. clear issues for Diniz on takedown defense,” one fan observed.

A final supporter captured the atmosphere surrounding the hometown victory, writing, “Boser came to play fr, that energy when you’re fighting at home hits different.”

Love the performance, or call it a snoozefest, ‘The Bulldozer’ got the job done when it mattered. The Canadian heavyweight bagged a third-round TKO, snapped his losing streak, and gave UFC Edmonton’s fans something to finally cheer about after a brutal night for the home team. Not everyone was entertained, but Tanner Boser left with the win, and that’s what counts.