“The Crow” began fighting in the UCC (now TKO) and won his Universal Combat Challenge Canadian middleweight championship at 19 years old. He has stopped three UCC champions and faced a total of five belt holders.
He fought Justin Bruckmann twice, beat Steve Vigneault to become the UCC middleweight champ, lost his title to Jason St. Louis, fought Claudionor Fontinelle and reclaimed his title from Jesse Jones.
The Haitian native had a big win over UFC veteran Joe Doerkson at UCC 7, taking a unanimous decision over the well-known Canadian submission fighter. He punished IVC/Meca Vale Tudo veteran and former UCC world middleweight champion Claudionor Fontinelle and took the title from Miletich Martial Arts fighter Jesse Jones at UCC 11.
Loiseau took out another member of the Miletich camp in the form of UFC veteran Tony Fryklund. David was prepared for “The Freak,” punishing him with devastating leg kicks and accurate punching while avoiding Frylund’s takedown attempts. It was a series of punches that cut Tony open and called and end to the bout late in the first round.
His UFC debut came against Mark Weir in UFC 42 and he knocked the Englishman out in the first round. He returned to face Jorge Rivera at UFC 44 and lost a unanimous decision. In his third bout with a Miletich fighter, Jeremy Horn proved to be too skilled and David was choked out early in the first round. Loiseau is 2-0 since the loss to Horn, including a decision victory over UFC veteran Curtis Stout.
RAY: Submission fighter Gideon Ray, from Keith Hackney’s Reality Combat Academy outside Chicago, is 14-1-1 in MMA. He trains with fighters Mustafa Hussaini, Rafal Piszczek, Virgil Strzelecki and the rest of the Hackney’s Chicago Fight Team.
Ray cut his teeth on Midwest shows including the Total Combat Challenge, the Ironheart Crown, the Freestyle Combat Challenge, UFC veteran Phil Johns’ Silverback Challenge and Monte Cox’s Extreme Challenge.
Ray took first in the National Pankration Championships in 2003, is a state and National Tae Kwon Do Champion and a member of the United States Tae Kwon Do Union.
“The Gladiator” (and he’s sometimes called “The Assassin”) had a draw with IVC and Pancrase veteran Brian Gassaway at the SHOOTO Midwest show in 2003 and knocked out WFA and Extreme Challenge veteran Jason Medina from Miletich Fighting Systems.
In likely his greatest challenge to date, Gideon went the distance with undefeated Jason Black in last year’s Ironheart Crown. Black represents Ray’s only loss, helping to create a bit of a rivalry with the MFS camp. Ray has also had fellow Midwesterner and UFC veteran Shonie Carter in his sites for some time. The two were supposed to meet at the World Shidokan Championships and at an Ironheart Crown event but the bout has yet to happen. Ray is 2-0 since the loss to Black and this will be his octagon debut.
MY PICK: Loiseau. “The Crow” is ready to bang and Ray comes in with less than a week to prepare for his UFC debut. His record is solid but he hasn’t fought on a card anywhere near this level. Aside from the back-to-back losses to Rivera and Horn, Loiseau has been at the top of his game. A well-placed elbow will result in a cut and give David all the opening he needs to finish it. Loiseau by TKO from cuts in the second round.