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DAVID "THE CROW"
LOISEAU
A Rounded and Grounded Gentleman 
© Marc Wickert
www.knucklepit.com
All photos copyright 2004 Zuffa LLC
Photography by Joshua Hedges David Loiseau has been doing one form of martial arts or another "since I was seven years of age. I always liked martial arts movies and I started practising karate then," says The Crow. At UFC 53: Heavy Hitters, David showed he was too skilled for Charles McCarthy. But there was a moment when the experienced Loiseau looked to be in trouble after Charles tried to submit him with a rear naked choke. Years of competition enabled David to remain cool under pressure, and he says that during McCarthy’s attempted choke he did not feel threatened. "No, not really. I train with a very good jiu jitsu guy. Of course it’s always a risk, but I was well defended." With the standard of mixed martial arts ever increasing, and the more-rounded fighters finding they need to be able to escape "finishing holds", the holds that would have meant the end of a bout years ago are now being countered. A similar situation occurred when Evan Tanner was able to defend against David Terrell’s guillotine choke at UFC 51: Super Saturday. And The Crow used his knowledge as an NHB fighter to do the same against the rear naked choke. "A couple of years ago it may have been a different matter, but the thing is, it all comes with experience and I’ve been grappling for the past six or seven years now, so I know how to defend against that hold." David likes to specialise in elbow and knee strikes, and in round two of their match, he caught Charles with flying knees to end the fight. He attributes these skills to his Muay Thai background: "I train a lot in Thai boxing, and there are a lot of elbows and knees in that discipline. That’s one thing I’m very good at - after punching."
Of these skills, Loiseau is probably best known for his elbow strikes. It’s his close-quarter techniques that make him potentially one of the most street-effective fighters in MMA. But The Crow only has this to offer about the adaptability of his Octagon skills: "They may be street effective, but I don’t fight outside the ring. I’m a gentleman and I avoid trouble." David, in UFC 51, you attempted a rear naked choke on Gideon Ray; have you won any of your fights by grappling submissions? "I defeated Justin Bruckmann by guillotine choke (UCC 2: The Moment of Truth), and Anis Abdelli by rear naked choke (UCC 6: Redemption)." Although you lost your fight against Jorge Rivera by decision, he seemed to come away from that meeting worse off than you did. "It was a very tough fight. Jorge is a warrior and he always comes to fight. You have to finish him first to get out of there. The guy won’t stop." What’s it like training with Georges St. Pierre? "I’ve been training with Georges for the past four years, so it’s something special. He’s one of my best friends, too. We kinda grew up together as fighters. It’s great." Are you too a reggae fan? "Yeah. Yeah. But I’m more into hip-hop and I like the techno-trans music from Europe. There are too many artists for me to name just one favourite. I have 3,000 songs on my system and I love music from all around the world. I also love rap, alternative, light rock, African, Spanish music…everything." Back to the UFC… Are you looking at the middleweight title? "Right now I’m looking at Evan Tanner. A lot of people ask me what’s next after I beat Evan? Well I believe whoever looks past Tanner doesn’t beat Tanner. And that’s why I’m focused on him right now. That’s all I can think about." When are you fighting Evan? "Ultimate Fighter Night, October 3." What do you expect his game plan to be? "Oh, he’ll try to box a little bit, and pressure me into the corner of the cage, then try to beat me down and work from there." So you’re saying he’ll want you on the ground, with you on your back? "Yeah, but it ain’t going to happen. And if it does happen, I’ll get back up. He won’t be able to hold me down… I hope he won’t be able to hold me," laughs Loiseau. And how will you win the fight? "I’m going to win. I don’t know how, but it won’t be by decision." David, is there anything you’d like to add? "Really, I’d like to thank the fans around the world who support me and my sport. I’m glad that MMA is growing – just getting bigger and bigger." Your sponsors? "KTFO, Mopal, mvpteam.com, and Performance Plus Nutrition."
For more on David Loiseau and his new web site, which is currently under construction: www.davidloiseau.tv For more UFC
info: www.ufc.tv
DAVID LOISEAU
Part 2
"The Fans Will Love This
Fight."
All photos copyright 2004 Zuffa LLC
Photography by Joshua Hedges It’s 2.30 on Friday afternoon – just two weeks before David "The Crow" Loiseau is due to fight Rich Franklin for UFC’s World Middleweight Championship. David is in his hometown of Montreal, driving back from the gym, and looking forward to his title shot. However, this is not an opportunity that appeared overnight for The Crow. He has paid his dues over the years in the Octagon against such respected MMA athletes as Mark Weir (UFC 42), Jorge Rivera (UFC 44), Gideon Ray (UFC 51), and Charles McCarthy (UFC 53). David agrees it’s his turn to mount the challenge: "I actually believe I’ve worked hard and I deserve it. I didn’t just come out of nowhere to get the title shot. I worked my way up and beat the former champion (Evan Tanner at Ultimate Fight Night, Oct. 3, 2005) decisively. And I deserve this shot. But it’s like a dream come true," says Loiseau. Usually, David and Georges St. Pierre don’t get to fight at the same event, and one of them acts as training partner leading up to the other’s fight. However David has still been working out with Georges, despite being on the same card. "We won’t get to corner each other, but we’re still training together. And we’ve done it before where we’ve fought on the same card, back home in Canada." Being such good friends and having each other to help prepare one another for fights is something The Crow sees as a substantial advantage. "I feel blessed that I have Georges on my side because we’ve helped each other out so much during the past years. We’ve grown together as fighters, and through the ups and downs - thick and thin, we’re always there to pick each other up. "After I go out and spar with St. Pierre, I think: ‘I can handle myself against Georges.’ And Georges can say the same thing: ‘I just fought with The Crow.’ So I’m not going to be scared of my opponent." David, what do you do to chill out when you’re not preparing for a fight? "I’m really a music addict. I love music. I also read books – particularly on sports psychology. And I’m a dancing man. I can dance the Haitian dance. I can dance for reggae, funk, disco…I can also breakdance." Are there any areas of your fight game you’ve been focusing on for the upcoming bout against Rich Franklin? "In this complex game of MMA, I’m always trying to get better in all aspects. We’ve been working on a lot of stuff. There’s nothing in particular, but we have a game plan and we’re going to make sure we follow that plan."
You and Rich Franklin are both in your prime: It’s not as though one of you is an up-and-coming fighter and the other has passed his peak. You’re both climbing to the top of the mountain in your careers, aren’t you? "Yes. And I should have been on top of this division a long time ago. But the thing is, things came up and things don’t always go as planned. You know it’s one thing to win the title, but you have to win it and defend it. I’m ready to win and defend the title against anyone in this division. That’s why I’m the real contender and next champion – God willing." It’s not just going to be a great fight between you and Rich. It’s also going to be an opportunity for fans to witness two elite athletes displaying MMA at it’s best, isn’t it? "Oh yeah. We’ll grapple, wrestle, do stand up. This is going to be a fight that fans will love. And neither one of us is a boring fighter, so it’s impossible that this will be a boring fight. If it does slow down at some point in the fight, you can be sure there’s going to be a flying knee or a flying kick coming out, so yes, this will be a great fight to watch." Will stamina be an issue? "No. I won’t gas, and neither will Rich. But the thing is, he cuts a lot of weight and that might be a factor if he does lose a lot of water. So the longer the fight lasts, the better it’s going to be for me." Is there anything else you can see as a determining factor in this fight? "Just the fact that I’m still hungry. Right now, I’m the sport’s hungriest guy. And I’m going to be very focused – too focused not to perform at my best. And when I perform at my best, I win." You’re also in the process of making a DVD. "Oh, yeah, but that’s later: I’m not even thinking about that right now. We started on it, however its completion is down the track. But it will include elbows and all that good stuff." How are you going to win this fight on March 4? "Only God knows. I don’t predict things like that. All I can tell you is that I will come out victorious." David, is there anything you’d like to add? "I’d like to thank all the fans for their support. The reason I’ve gained a title shot and I’m fighting this hard is because of them. I really appreciate the support of the fans, and I will keep entertaining them. Every time I fight, they are going to get their money’s worth." Your Sponsors? "Xyience."
For more on David Loiseau and UFC 58: www.ufc.tv.
DAVID
LOISEAU It’s Crow Time!
©
Marc Wickert All
photos copyright 2004 Zuffa LLC The
word ‘warrior’ is thrown around loosely these days, like pollen
blowing in the breeze, waiting to germinate somewhere. But there’s
nothing flowery about David Loiseau’s reputation as a true warrior. When
The Crow fought Rich Franklin at UFC 58: USA vs. Canada, many MMA
enthusiasts, including his training partner, Georges St. Pierre, were
overwhelmed by David’s courage through all five 5-minute rounds. Although
Loiseau did not go home with UFC’s Middleweight Title, he did
establish himself beyond doubt as one of the sport’s hardest men.
Boasting an MMA record of 14-5-0, David has only been submitted twice
and TKO’d once. And in his more recent bouts, against such names as
Rich Franklin and Charles McCarthy (UFC 53: Heavy Hitters),
Loiseau has shown just how immune he is to submissions and big strikes. Now
at home in Montreal, The Crow is relaxing between workouts whilst
preparing for his next fight, at UFC 63. “I’m just resting before my
second training session. This morning I did Thai boxing on the pads, and
this evening is more conditioning – plyometrics and all that good
stuff,” says Loiseau. On
September 23, 2006, David will be facing Mike Swick, and he says he is
looking forward to getting in the Octagon with Mike: “Very much so.
I’ve been training hard: Fighting is what I live for and I’m looking
very forward to the next challenge.” David, your bout with Rich Franklin was an incredible battle. Although you didn’t win the decision, do you feel you won a great deal of admiration from the fans? “Not
every fan: A lot criticized me for the way I fought against Rich. But
many of the fans – particularly those who understand the game well –
showed me a lot of love and support after the fight.” Georges said he thought you gained so much from that match, and that you’ll be a much better fighter from the experience. Do you agree? “Oh,
of course. Actually, right now Rich Franklin is rated the number one
fighter in the world – above everybody. And I stood five rounds with
him, I kept coming back, and I didn’t quit. He has much more
experience than I do and once I get more experience and confidence in
there, I’ll get to the top.” You’ve fought some incredible wars in the Octagon – Jorge Rivera, Rich Franklin and Evan Tanner. What do you think gives you that determination and so much heart? “Probably
the way I grew up and the way I train: I make sure the training is
harder than the fight. It’s natural for me to keep pushing and going
forward. Quitting is not in my nature. I’m very persistent. “The conditioning, sparring… the discipline of waking up every day and doing it over and over, just having the discipline and courage to continue causes you to not consider quitting despite being bruised and injured. Quitting is not an option.”
Looking back on the Rich Franklin fight, is there anything you would have changed in the way you fought that fight? “Yeah,
I was backing up a lot and I wasn’t as offensive as I should have
been. I wasn’t letting it – letting my hands go. When we fight
again, I’ll make sure I’m myself in there. He hasn’t beaten the
real me.” What
do you see as being his main strengths? “Mike
Swick is an excellent overall fighter, we’re taking him seriously, and
we’re looking forward to a tough fight.” Mike surprised many people when he submitted Joe Riggs with a guillotine. Will you be a tougher athlete to submit? “We
work a lot on submission defense, and on the game plan and strategy…
everything that we could predict for this fight has been A-1:
like the striking, the conditioning, and grappling. We have a very good
strategy for this fight, and we’re looking forward to a great battle
with Mike Swick.” What
will be your strengths? “My
determination and experience with high-caliber fighters: I’ve fought
wars with Joe Doerksen, Jeremy Horn, Evan Tanner, Rich Franklin… a lot
of tough guys. I’ve been in there with very-high-caliber fighters.
I’ve seen a whole lot in the fight game.” Are
you looking at a rematch with Rich down the track? “I’m
looking forward to it, but I’m so focused and determined for my next
fight, and I never look past an opponent. Right now when I’m training,
I’m concentrating on Mike Swick. I let my opponents look past me, but
I don’t look past them.” How
is your DVD coming along? “It’s
coming along well, man. It should be out by the end of October.” David,
is there anything you’d like to add? “Not
really. I have a website: www.crowtime.tv
that will be up in a couple of weeks.” Your
sponsors? “Xyience, and Pursuit Las Vegas.”
For
more on David Loiseau and UFC 63: www.ufc.tv.
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