After an extended period of time off due to injury, middleweight Jacob Malkoun returned to action earlier this year, picking up a second straight victory over Torrez Finney.
At UFC Perth on Saturday, in a 190lb catchweight bout, Malkoun looked to build on that success against veteran Gerald “GM3” Meerschaert.
The two got things kicked off in the center of the Octagon, with Meerschaert trying to apply early pressure. Malkoun responded with a few straight shots, finding a vulnerable target in Meerschaert at range. Soon after, however, Malkoun made the questionable decision to initiate the grappling, which Meerschaert was able to reverse into top position. Not much came from it for the veteran, but Meerschaert rode out the remainder of the round, likely banking round one with control time.
Round two looked slightly different for the Australian, as this time he kept the majority of the fight standing against the much slower Meerschaert. Fighting behind a consistent jab, Malkoun walked the American down toward the cage and found success striking. Neither man truly landed anything of major significance, despite Malkoun putting Meerschaert in troubling situations multiple times.
Hesitance continued to plague both fighters in round three, but midway through the second minute, the striking started opening up as the two middleweights traded shots. Malkoun was seemingly on his bike, moving around the outside while mixing in another surprising takedown attempt. Still crafty at an older age, Meerschaert locked up a guillotine submission as the final 30 seconds came off the clock. However, the Australian, Jacob Malkoun, persevered, surviving GM3’s last attempt at victory.
When it went to the scorecards, Jacob Malkoun earned a unanimous decision win, moving to 10-3 in his career. On the other side, Gerald Meerschaert dropped to 37-22, with a move to light heavyweight likely in the cards next.
Official Result: Jacob Malkoun def. Gerald Meerschaert by unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28)
