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MacDonald, Loiseau turfed by UFC

Middleweights Jason (The Athlete) MacDonald of Red Deer and David (The Crow) Loiseau, two of the most experienced Canadian fighters in the UFC, have been cut by the mixed martial arts organization.
MacDonald, Quarry
ason (The Athlete) MacDonald (left) absorbs a blow from American middleweight Nate Quarry at UFC 97

Middleweights Jason (The Athlete) MacDonald of Red Deer and David (The Crow) Loiseau, two of the most experienced Canadian fighters in the UFC, have been cut by the mixed martial arts organization.

Fellow Canadian 185-pounder Jason (Dooms) Day has also been released, the UFC confirmed Tuesday.

Having absorbed some fighters from World Extreme Cagefighting, which has shut down weight classes from welterweight on up, the UFC finds itself flush with fighters and looking to cut numbers.

MacDonald and Loiseau have 18 fights in the Octagon between them. Loiseau’s UFC career dates back to UFC 42 in April 2003.

“I received an e-mail Saturday from the UFC, from their legal department, saying ‘my services were no longer needed’ and ‘my contract has been terminated,’ MacDonald wrote in his blog for www.Sportsnet.ca

“It was one of those form letters and at the bottom it said ‘this is in large part due to your loss in the UFC.’ I’m obviously very disappointed. But I’m not at all angry with the UFC. I’m well aware of the fact that I’m paid to perform. And the reality is three of the past four fights, I’ve lost.”

MacDonald, 33, fought 10 times in the UFC but lost his last two outings to Nate Quarry and Wilson Gouveia and has been beaten four times in his last six bouts.

His UFC record is 5-5 (21-12 overall).

The UFC’s decision to drop him comes just weeks after president Dana White praised the fighter following his loss to Nate Quarry at UFC 97 in Montreal.

“Anybody who puts on an exciting fight is good in our book and MacDonald is always awesome, man,” White told the post-fight news conference when asked about the Canadian.

“Always an exciting fighter.”

But also an inconsistent one. Between the recent Quarry loss and his debut win over Ed Herman in October 2006, his UFC record read win-loss-win-loss-win-loss-win-loss.

Part of the reason for that was MacDonald’s insistence on trying to show off his standup skills in recent bouts.

He changed tack against Quarry, saying he planned to revert to the clinch fighting and ground game that got him into the UFC.

But in trying to take Quarry down, he ended up under the American who carved him open with some vicious ground and pound.

MacDonald came late to the UFC but turned heads with wins over Herman and Chris Leben before being stopped by former champion Rich Franklin.

He went on to beat Rory Singer, fellow Canadian Joe Doerksen and Jason Lambert, losing to Yushin Okami and Demian Maia.

“I spoke with UFC matchmaker Joe Silva and we are still on good terms. He said to go out there and put together some wins and they’d like me to be back,” MacDonald wrote. “I’ve always had a positive relationship with the UFC, and even Joe said I was always a pleasure to deal with. But this is a business decision.”

MacDonald acknowledged his April 18 loss to Quarry was “a horrible performance,” especially in front of Canadian fans at Montreal’s Bell Centre.

The former prison guard plans to fight in the Edmonton-based Maximum Fighting Championships — run by close friend Mark Pavelich — and work towards getting his jiu-jitsu black belt.

Loiseau (18-9) gets the axe just one fight into his return to the UFC. He looked unimpressive in dropping a unanimous decision to Herman at UFC 97, his first fight in the Octagon since UFC 63.

The 29-year-old Montrealer exits with a 4-4 record in the UFC.

“He looked old tonight. He couldn’t get off,” said White after UFC 97. “His timing wasn’t there.”

Day (17-8) won his UFC debut in impressive fashion, stopping Alan (The Talent) Belcher at UFC 83, before losing comprehensively to Michael Bisping and Kendall Grove.

The 27-year-old is due to fight June 6 on the Rumble in the Cage card in his native Lethbridge, Alta.