"The Crow" flies into the UFC again
MONTREAL – Even if David Loiseau never fought again, he already earned his spot on the UFC's all-time highlight reel.
The fighter known as "The Crow" produced one of the most spectacular finishes in mixed martial arts history at UFC 53 in 2005, when he used a perfectly timed spinning back kick to Charles McCarthy's solar plexus to score a knockout win. To this day, the clip is played on the big screens in arenas at UFC events.
"I guess that's what I'm most famous for," said the soft-spoken Montreal native. "It's better to be known for something like that than for losing a fight."
The move's flashiness was enough to earn Loiseau a loyal fan base. And it's enough to keep earning him shots in the UFC.
Twice cut from the company, Loiseau (18-8) begins his third UFC tour of duty on Saturday night when he fights Ed "Short Fuse" Herman at his hometown Bell Centre on the UFC 97 undercard.
"David's a great guy to have on the card," said UFC president Dana White. "He's an exciting fighter and the fans love him and we're glad to have him back."
Loiseau came up through the ranks as part of the Quebec crew that includes UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and middleweight contender Patrick Cote.
His first UFC stint ended in 2003, after he suffered a surprise loss to Jorge Rivera. But he was back in the fold in 2005 and by 2006, Loiseau seemed on the verge of stardom. Loiseau followed up his for-the-ages win over McCarthy by taking out former middleweight champ Evan Tanner with a brutal TKO.
That earned him a shot at then-champion Rich Franklin's title. But Loiseau took a beating in a unanimous-decision loss, as reflected by the scores of 50-43, 50-42 and 50-42. "The Crow" appeared gun shy in his follow-up match, a unanimous decision loss to Mike Swick.
Next thing he knew, he was out of the company.
"It was a surprise. I didn't think I'd get dropped that fast," he said. "I'm a positive person and all I could do was keep going. I knew I had been cut once before and been brought back, so I just needed to keep my faith and believe I'd get another opportunity if I worked hard enough."
It would be nice to say Loiseau turned things around instantly, but truth is, he had difficulty finding his footing after leaving the company, as he lost decisions to Joey Villasenor and Jason Day, both of whom are solid pros, but hardly world beaters.
"I had to stop and think about where my career was going," he said. "I never lost faith in myself or my abilities, but it seemed like I wasn't able to get the most out of my talents."
After the loss to Day, Loiseau decided to change his entire approach. In addition to working with acclaimed Montreal coach Firas Zihabi, he spent more time with Albuquerque's Greg Jackson, whose camp is the home of St. Pierre and UFC light heavyweight champ Rashad Evans.
The end result was three straight victories and another opportunity to fight in the big-time.
"You only get so many chances. As an athlete your time is limited," said Loiseau. "I always had faith that I would get another opportunity. I don’t know if I will get another shot at the title, but I know I will be fighting in front of 22,000 of my hometown fans Saturday night and that is enough to make all the effort I've put into this worthwhile."
And can those fans expect another spinning back kick, or maybe something else flashy? At first, Loiseau is hesitant. "I can't make any promises," he said.
But then a smile crosses his face. "But who knows? Maybe they'll see something."
