One Canadian out, one Canadian in.
After welterweight Nick Catone was forced to withdraw from his bout at UFC 113 with John Salter due to a back injury, David Louiseau, Montreal fan-favorite and UFC veteran was tapped to be his replacement on short notice.
Louiseau suffered a disappointing loss in a bout against Ed Herman at UFC 97. Fans of sports betting know the bout was supposed to be his shot at another UFC run, which ultimately, did not come to pass. Since then, Loiseau rebounded with a TKO win over Chester Post at a Mixed Fight League event in February. However, Loiseau's UFC hopes would be once again dashed.
The sanctioning body operating in Quebec announced they would not license the fighter to fight in his home province until he had answered questions at a hearing. At the root of the problem is Loiseau's former involvement in the XMMA promotion. Loiseau started the promotion along with fellow fighter Steve Claveau, but Loiseau sold off his interest in an effort to focus on fighting full-time, and returning to the UFC.
Several months after the change in ownership, allegations surfaced regarding the involvement of organized crime. What is curious about the commission's targeting of Loiseau, is that everyone seems to agree that the new owners were the ones who came under investigation. Loiseau has never been accused - directly or indirectly - of anything.
All of this certainly leaves fans scratching their heads as to why the province would vindictively hurt one of their most famous fighters. In any event, fans of UFC betting should be aware that Jason MacDonald has now been tapped to replace the replacement. MacDonald, who will fight just two weeks removed from a unanimous decision victory over Matt Horwich, will take on John Salter on the undercard.
Is replacing a fighter for no good reason with a fighter who fought two weeks ago really in the best interest of the athletes? Absolutely not.
