Noted Quebec hockey enforcer looks to make mark in mixed martial arts

By Neil Davidson

A winger with the Summum-Chiefs de St-Jean, Bosse had no goals, no assists and 180 penalty minutes in 23 games as of Thursday. In the three previous seasons with the Verdun Dragons, he racked up 674 penalty minutes while recording two goals and four assists.

The North American Hockey League, not to be confused with a U.S. junior league of the same name, has eight teams. Its official website lists Bosse as No. 275 in scoring, ahead of two other players who have a combined 396 penalty minutes.

TKO boss Stephane Patry, who introduced the likes of Georges St. Pierre and Patrick Cote to the UFC, says Bosse is the real deal.

"He's going to be something else," Patry said.

If you want a taste of Bosse, check him out on YouTube. He has knockout power with both hands, arms like pistons and a granite chin.

"I'm a hard puncher and I'm strong," said Bosse, whose English is patchy. "I can take a punch."

This season, Bosse has had a running feud with fellow enforcer Jon Mirasty (two goals, six assists and 271 penalty minutes in 38 games) of the Mission de Sorel-Tracy.

The two teams meet next on March 16 and the game is already sold out.

Bosse (pronounced Boss-AY) says he has not suffered any major losses this season, although acknowledges he has lost his balance "one of two times." Mirasty buckled his knees but Bosse kept punching. One observer judges Bosse as winning two of their three fights this season.

Bosse reckons he has had 30 to 35 fights this season. There would have been more but he broke his left hand on Quebec enforcer Jacques Dube's head in November.

The six-foot 235-pounder has a background in boxing and usually has a few amateur bouts each summer. Now he is trying to add wrestling and jiu-jitsu to his repertoire.

"It's a little hard but I like the training," said Bosse, who works out three hours a day.

His hockey team has no objections about this foray into MMA fighting, as long as he does it in the off-season.

If MMA works for him, he says he will put aside his hockey career.

In another fight at TKO 29, Jonathan Goulet will take on Steve Vigneault. Others fighters booked include Cote, Chris Clements and Stephane Dube.

Notes: Randy Couture's purse for UFC 68: The Uprising last Saturday in Columbus, Ohio, was US$250,000, according to figures released by the Ohio State Athletic Commission. Tim Sylvia, who lost his heavyweight title to Couture on a unanimous decision, made $100,000. Those figures probably represent only a partial look at the headline fighters' pay, since they do not take into account bonuses or other clauses in their UFC contract or any potential cut of the pay-per-view. Other official purse figures for UFC 68 were Rich Franklin ($42,000) and Jason MacDonald of Red Deer, Alta., ($14,000); Matt Hughes ($150,000) and Chris Lytle ($10,000); Renato (Babalu) Sobral ($21,000) and Jason Lambert ($18,000); Jon Fitch ($28,000) and Luigi Fioravanti ($8,000); Martin Kampmann ($20,000) and Drew McFedries ($5,000); Matt Hamill ($10,000) and Rex Holman ($3,000); Gleison Tibau ($6,000) and Jason Dent ($3,000); and Jamie Varner ($6,000) and Jason Gilliam ($3,000).

(Source)