Gerald Meerschaert Retires After Sixth Straight Loss at UFC Vegas 122
Gerald Meerschaert announced his retirement after a first-round TKO loss to Julius Walker at UFC Vegas 122, ending a six-fight skid.
Gerald Meerschaert has called it a career.
The 38-year-old veteran announced his retirement following a first-round TKO loss to Julius Walker at UFC Vegas 122 on Saturday night, bringing an end to a 17-year professional career. "Can't fight forever," Meerschaert said after the fight, per BJPenn.com.
Walker finished Meerschaert with punches at 3:35 of the opening round, extending GM3's losing skid to six consecutive defeats. It was a rough final chapter for a fighter who spent the better part of a decade in the UFC and built a reputation as one of the promotion's most reliable middleweights.
Meerschaert leaves the sport with a professional record of 37-23, including a 12-14 mark inside the Octagon, per Sherdog. His submission game was his calling card: 29 of his 37 career victories came by way of tap or choke, a rate that put him among the most prolific finishers on the UFC roster during his tenure.
The losing streak began with a third-round submission loss to Reinier de Ridder in November 2024 and continued through decision losses to Brad Tavares and Jacob Malkoun, first-round stoppages against Michal Oleksiejczuk and Kyle Daukaus, and Saturday's finish at the hands of Walker. Meerschaert moved up to light heavyweight for the final bout after missing weight in his previous outing at middleweight.
Before the skid, Meerschaert had notched a second-round submission win over Edmen Shahbazyan in August 2024. He competed out of Kill Cliff FC in Florida and was known around the gym as a tireless training partner and willing opponent who never ducked a fight.
I've watched a lot of guys ride it too long, and Gerald Meerschaert was dangerously close to becoming one of those cautionary tales. Six straight losses is a brutal way to go out, but there's something to respect about a guy who says "can't fight forever" and actually means it. Too many fighters say that and then show up on a regional card six months later.
GM3 was never a star, never held a belt, never main-evented a pay-per-view. But 37 pro wins, 29 by submission, and 26 UFC appearances? That's a career. The guy showed up, fought everybody they put in front of him, and kept that submission game dangerous enough that nobody ever wanted to go to the ground with him.
Walking away at 38 with his health and his dignity intact is the best finish Gerald Meerschaert could have asked for. I hope he stays retired.
