UFC 115 Preview: The Prelims

David Loiseau vs. Mario Miranda

Miranda’s UFC debut against Gerald Harris was nearly five minutes of top-shelf potential on full display that ended with Miranda on the wrong end of a TKO. It’ll take a few more years worth of heart-crunching disappointment, however, for Miranda to relate to David Loiseau -- a man who went from UFC headliner to regional Canadian promotions.

Loiseau’s first attempt at a UFC renaissance failed in a loss against Ed Herman at UFC 97. He remains an explosive striker with serious gaps in his game that modern fighters won’t ignore. A best case scenario for Loiseau is always an opponent who will strike with him, but Miranda is actually the more complete striker. A 6-foot-4 middleweight with nasty kicks is no fun for anyone, and Miranda also has the technical skills that have always kept Loiseau from maximizing his natural striking ability. The most glaring difference between the two is how they approach striking. Miranda dictates distance beautifully with his rangy kicks while Loiseau typically stands down before trying to barrel in with exotic techniques.

Throwing wheel kicks and spinning back elbows may work for Jon Jones, but Loiseau’s short reach and lacking takedown defense work in tandem against him. A poor judge of distance, Loiseau often comes up short on his would-be KO shots, and this leaves him completely exposed to both strikes and takedown attempts. Rocking a hands-low, chin-out stance doesn’t help Loiseau much either, as evidenced by his long history of getting clipped on the feet.

The canvas won’t be any respite for Loiseau. Miranda is the far more skillful grappler and he has enough wrestling to ensure he’ll get the top position anytime he wants it. Back in the day Loiseau’s answer to being on the floor was to give up back control and try to roll into his opponent’s guard, where he could cut loose with his razor-laced elbows. Not surprisingly, it turned out to be a limited strategy once opponents grew more cautious about taking his back.

Expecting Miranda to fall for that gambit is none too wise. More importantly, he’s the kind of grappler that can make Loiseau pay for such strategic errors. Given Loiseau’s inhuman ability to take punishment, a stoppage is likely beyond Miranda’s reach, but a lopsided decision win won’t be.