UFC 97 Breakdown: The Prelims

David Loiseau vs. Ed Herman

The Breakdown: Once upon a time, Loiseau was a dynamic middleweight contender who became known for his flashy kickboxing and box-cutter-blade elbows. Now, we have a fighter on the comeback trail that’s a shell of his former self. The offensive dynamism is gone, which does not bode well for “The Crow.” Herman excels at securing top control and chipping away at opponents with sound positioning and ground-and-pound. Unless Loiseau still has some of his old Dennis Alexio-style kickboxing stored away, he may find out that the UFC middleweight division has left him behind.

The X Factor: One of Loiseau’s old gambits was to surrender his back and roll over into his opponent’s guard before unleashing volleys of face-slicing elbows. The MMA world has not seen that particular part of Loiseau’s game in a while, but if he can revive it against Herman, he’ll have his best chance of reclaiming some past glory.

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The Bottom Line: Back in the olden days, “The Crow” would have been a firm favorite over Herman, but the game has changed and Loiseau has not kept up. The toll of taking on elite talents has worn him down, and his own style has proven to be easily exposed. Keep a candle lit for the return of the Loiseau face slice special, but more than likely, Herman will grind out an effective, if unspectacular, technical knockout win.