Former T.U.F.'er who was cut gets chance to fight on big stage

Sometimes it can be a good thing to fall through the cracks.

After his experience on the Ultimate Fighting Championship's third season of The Ultimate Fighter series ended with a loss to Luigi Fioravanti on the series finale in 2006, Solomon Hutcherson faded from the limelight.

Surfacing a year later in smaller shows, Hutcherson has been allowed the opportunity to sharpen his skills and become a true MMA veteran in the process without the pressures of performing on a Pay-Per-View stage.

Remaining undefeated since suffering his loss to Fioravanti, he appears ready to take a step back up into the big leagues of MMA, starting with a main event match-up with fellow former UFC fighter David "The Crow" Loiseau at the XMMA show on Sept.13.

"I feel this is going to be great," said Hutcherson of his opportunity to face Loiseau.

"I've admired David Loiseau from afar. He's one of the first fighters I took note of in the UFC and I'm honored to fight him."

He feels that his style matches up with the unique skills Loiseau brings to a fight.

"He's more of an all-out striker, and he's got a lot of tricks on the ground; but I feel my straight forward style will kind of blast through that," stated Hutcherson.

"To kick you have to be on one leg, and takedowns are kind of my thing, so I'm going to capitalize on that as much as possible."

Should he add Loiseau's name to his list of victories, it could only be a matter of time until Hutcherson finds himself back in the bigger MMA shows.

According to him however, it's not a motivating factor for Sept. 13.

"I'm looking at this (like) all fights," he admitted. "I'm a fighter; I like to fight some of the best competition out there, that's all I'm looking at this for.

"I like to fight and I like to fight guys who can fight, and prove to myself and fans that I'm progressing the way I should be. If that means getting back into the UFC, great, then that's just a bonus."

Since The Ultimate Fighter 3, Hutcherson has put his time to good use. He's worked hard on his game and emphasized becoming a serious fighter, as opposed to just using his raw natural talent to win fights.

"Before I got any exposure on The Ultimate Fighter show, I had no real prior experience to that," he said. "I had fought in the shows I had fought in, because I just liked to fight.

"I was an avid wrestler and was always good at ground and pounding -- but now it's at another level. Adding the footwork, striking, kicks, knees and elbows of my own, I'm a wellspring of knowledge that I didn't have before; now I'm itching to put it to use."

Come Sept. 13 against Loiseau, Hutcherson could take a step back to the limelight, but first and foremost, he's focused on the task at hand.