Hockey Enforcer Steve Bosse Pummels Opponent

Steve Bosse made a name for himself using his fists as piledrivers in the Ligue Nord Américaine de Hockey, and now he's threatening to do the same in Ultimate Fighting.

Last night, Bossé made quick work of Jody Burke of Brockville, Ont., in a heavyweight bout in front of 6,500 fans at the Bell Centre in TKO 30: Apocalypse.

Bossé knocked his physically inferior opponent to the canvas in the opening round, then delivered a flurry of punches to the back of Burke's head until the bout was stopped at the 1:20 mark.

It was the second TKO in as many mixed martial arts appearances for Bossé, a feared enforcer with the St. Jean Summun Chiefs of the LNAH.

The 26-year-old St. Jean sur Richelieu native also won his MMA debut June 1 with a first-round knock out against David Fraser. Burke's record fell to 1-5.

Bossé said this could be his final season in the rugged LNAH if his mixed martial arts career takes off.

"Hockey fights are tough for my hands. I don't want to hurt my hands and miss a fight in Ultimate Fighting.

"If it doesn't work out in Ultimate Fighting, I know I can always go back to hockey."

Bossé, who stands 6-feet tall and weighs 230 pounds, said most hockey bouts usually last less than a minute.

"I only need three punches and the other guy goes down."

In Ultimate Fighting, Bossé - who picked up 253 minutes in penalties with the Chiefs last season - must be able to go three rounds of five minutes.

"It's very tough to fight that long," he said. "That's why I train all the time now. I spend four to six hours a day in the gym and I run five or six kilometres every day for my cardio.

"In the summer, I went to Thailand to do martial arts training. Now I can use my legs for low kicks, my elbows and my knees."

Bossé said the glorified fighters in the LNAH are paid relatively well for breaking their knuckles.

"For fighters, the money is better than in the AHL. The LNAH fighters even make more money than the guys who score goals."

Bossé said there is a grudging respect among hockey enforcers.

"We all know our jobs," he said. "I'm a No. 1, so I have to fight the other team's No. 1 tough.

"I have respect for the toughs. But when I fight, I want to hurt the guy so he'll know he was fighting me.

"But I don't want to kill anyone; I'm human."

In other featured bouts last night, featherweight Mark Hominick scored a first-round TKO over Ben Greer, Jesse Bongfeldt defeated Chris Clements by submission in a welterweight title fight, and Sam Stout beat Martin Grandmont by TKO in a lightweight title match.

Source: www.canada.com