Canada's Boser takes a beating from Moldova's Cutelaba in UFC light-heavyweight debut

Canadian Tanner (The Bulldozer) Boser took a beating in his UFC light-heavyweight debut Saturday night in Kansas City, stopped in the first round by Moldova's Ion (The Hulk) Cutelaba.

Boser went 4-4-0 as a heavyweight in the UFC before deciding to drop to 205 pounds to face Cutelaba. The 31-year-old from Bonnyville, Alta., who now makes his home in Edmonton, weighed in at 229 pounds for his last heavyweight outing, a split decision loss to 261-pound Brazilian Rodrigo Nascimento.

Boser weighed in at 203 pounds for this fight, compared to 206 for Cutelaba who was at the light-heavyweight non-title limit.

Boser (20-10-1) suffered his second straight loss and fourth in his last five outings.

Former featherweight champion Max (Blessed) Holloway, ranked second among 145-pound contenders, won a unanimous decision over No. 4 Arnold (Almighty) Allen of England In the main event at the T-Mobile Center.

A lean-looking Boser had trouble absorbing Cutelaba's power from the get-go. Cutelaba sent Boser backwards with a powerful overhand right to the chin, some 90 seconds into the bout. Boser went down to one knee and when he got back up, ate one blow after another.

Cutelaba took him down and, as Boser tried to get back up at the fence, connected with almost 20 strikes to the head until referee Keith Peterson stepped in to end the punishment at two minutes five seconds.

Hulk SMASH