As Nova Scotia’s T.J. Grant proved he belongs in the UFC with a winning debut, battle-hardened Montrealer David (The Crow) Loiseau may have unloaded his last spinning back kick on mixed-martial arts’ biggest stage.

Grant (14-2), a native of Cole Harbour, and his opponent, Ryo (Piranha) Chonan, exploded into the cage at Montreal’s Bell Centre on Saturday for UFC 97, exchanging flurries of blows.

But it was the 25-year-old Grant who won a split decision over his Japanese rival in an action-filled welterweight tilt that whipped the pro-Canuck crowd into rumbling chants of “T.J., T.J., T.J.”

“When they were cheering for me I just thought, ‘Man, I’ve got to win, I can’t lose this fight,”‘ Grant said after the three-round contest.

“It’s a dream come true to fight in the UFC in Canada.”

But the vocal sellout crowd of over 20,000 failed to help the veteran hometown favourite Loiseau (18-9) in his bout with Ed (Short Fuse) Herman (17-6).

Except for a few stiff blows – including a spinning back kick that connected with Herman’s face – Loiseau spent most of the fight in a turtled position on the mat. The echoes of “Let’s go Loiseau” quickly turned to downpours of boos when Loiseau appeared unwilling to stand up.

Herman, of Portland, Ore., won by unanimous decision after staying on Loiseau’s back for much of the bout, firing away with knees and fists to his opponent’s ribs and face.

“I wanted to finish him so bad, I could feel him breaking,” said Herman, who also spoke about Loiseau’s wild kick which came flying at his head seconds after the opening bell.

“(The kick) was freaking clean, it was right on the button and he caught me with an elbow too.”

It was Loiseau’s first UFC fight since being released after losing to Mike (Quick) Swick at UFC 63 in September 2006.

The six-foot, 185-pounder, known for his highlight-reel finish of Charles (Chainsaw) McCarthy with a spinning back kick and flying knee in 2005, has a career UFC record of 4-4.

“It’s very disappointing to work three hard years to get back and then lose by decision,” a bruised and swollen Loiseau, 29, said in the locker-room after the fight.

“(The mat) was so slippery. Every time I attacked him, I slipped.”

Loiseau, a training partner of UFC welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre, hopes to fight again in the UFC, but said he doesn’t know what the future holds.

As for Grant, a purple belt in jiu-jitsu, he’s eager for his next bout.

“I’m going to get back, train my butt off and whoever I’ve got to fight, I’ll fight them,” Grant said.

Grant, who has won 12 of 14 pro fights by submission, said he knew he could hold his own with Chonan (15-10) as soon as his bleached-blond opponent hit him.

The welterweights came out swinging at the start of each round, but quickly moved to the floor each time.

“It was frustrating because there were times I just couldn’t do anything because he really wanted to stay on top of me,” Grant said following the fight, seconds after pulling an ice pack off the back of his neck.

“My strategy was to use my wrestling and strike when I needed to.”

On the way to his locker-room after the bout, Grant ran into UFC president Dana White.

“Good job brother,” White said, giving the Nova Scotian a friendly fist bump. “Great fight, man.”

Grant, who fought in the now-defunct TKO circuit at the Bell Centre in front of crowds of 6,000, said he never felt a rush like he did in UFC 97.

“It was just a dream come true, the fans helped me out so much – it’s awesome,” he said.