Gerald Meershaert retires from UFC after 60 pro fights.
38-year-old Meerschaert lost to Julius Walker At UFC Fight Night: Allen Vs. Duncan last night, his sixth straight loss in the UFC. That was enough for the middleweight fighter: he took off his gloves in the cage and left in a touching speech with Michael Bisping.
“Yeah, I’m having a good run, Michael,” Meerschaert said. “I set a few records, I’ve done some things. Maybe 205, I should have done it a little earlier, but those guys are up there, you know what I mean?”
“Can’t fight forever,” he continued. “I have some good ways to make money for my family and make a good living. I’ve had a heck of a time here performing for you. I can’t think of a better job. I’m going to miss you.”
Meerschaert quietly collected some impressive UFC records, including most finishes at middleweight (12) and most submissions (11).
“I’ve been fighting since 2007,” he said at the post-fight press conference. “I spent half my career in the UFC. I got 60 professional fights and a bunch more that aren’t even on the books. I fought when head butt was legal. I’m getting too old for this stuff. It’s probably for me.”
One would hope that a man with 27 UFC fights would be able to quit fighting and never work again, but Meerschaert is moving into the lucrative world of HVAC after hanging up his gloves.
“I know exactly what I’m going to do after this, and it has nothing to do with the fight,” he said. “Unlike most of my peers, I have a pretty good head on my shoulders. I do a few things more in the company and earn my money that way. Now I’m going to work with air conditioning and I can wear all my clothes.”
“It’s a real change of pace for me.”
Meerschaert may have had limited skills, but he was one of those guys who always showed up ready and willing to upset anyone who didn’t take him seriously. It’s been a hell of a ten-year run with the UFC, and we wish him all the best in his new career path.
