Gerald Meerschaert’s submission of Trevin Giles at UFC Newark comes at an opportune time, as the middleweight fought out his contract Saturday.
Newark NJ — In the record books, at least, middleweight Gerald Meerschaert appeared in his 40th pro fight Saturday at UFC Newark. In reality, he has quite a few more — probably closer to fifty. But Saturday’s win, on the main card of the event, clocking in as UFC on ESPN 5, was a big one.
The guillotine submission of Trevin Giles snapped a two-fight skid. It came via a technical submission, improving Meerschaert’s finishing rate to 27 of 29 wins. It was an impressive feat, though ref Herb Dean was a bit late making the save Saturday night.
“I felt it. I could feel the tap with both hands, and I felt him go out,” Meerschaert told reporters including Cageside Press following the bout. “That’s why I let go. Herb got over there, and he was kind of like — I was going ‘he tapped, he tapped’ and he’s like ‘no he didn’t’ and he was looking at his hand, I was like ‘he’s out’ so I let go, he went down and I got his legs right away.”
“I knew what happened, and Herb’s a great ref. It was a weird spot to get the finish from, I happened to have it tight, and he, being Trevin, did the correct thing, he stepped his leg outside my leg,” continued Meerschaert. “Usually that would negate the submission, but he was already so tired, and I’d already been squeezing on his neck, it was just too little, too late. It just happened in a funky spot.”
From there, Meerschaert came to the aid of his now unconscious foe. Of course, he’s the type who would help out any fighter who had gone out. Plus, Espinosa was a gentleman all week, Meerschaert said. “It’s just a fight, I’ve got no animosity against him. I saw he was out, I felt him tap, I let go and as soon as I did, there was no one even close. I looked up, no one even close, I just snatched his legs up, let the blood flow to his brain so he gets his wits back about him. No reason to take any additional damage or lack of oxygen to the brain if you don’t need to.”
Of course, even if an opponent wasn’t a gentleman, “I probably still would [help him out], just to wake him up faster, be like ‘I told you!'”
The win at UFC Newark was the last fight on UFC deal, which should put him in a decent spot when it comes time to renew. “I feel pretty good,” the middleweight said Saturday. “It wasn’t the most exciting fight, and it happens with some of these ground battles. It’s a very game of inches, tactical fight type of thing.”
As to what comes next, “I’m not in a position to call anybody out. I was just on a two-fight losing skid,” said Meerschaert. “I ain’t up for title contention, I haven’t gone on a run or anything. Whoever they give me, they give me. As long as I’m back in the UFC.”
Watch the full UFC Newark post-fight press scrum with Gerald Meerschaert above!
