Athletes
Gerald Meerschaert Remains Happy On His Journey
“GM3” Looks To Get Back On Track With A Win Over Bryan Barberena At UFC Fight Night: Tuivasa vs Tybura
Gerald Meerschaert’s professional career began back in 2007. That’s a whole lot of fight weeks that the 36-year-old has experienced, and each time he approaches a new week, it is a time for him to reflect on his journey to this point.
“I just try to enjoy the whole process, the poster signing, even the weight cut as much as I can,” Meerschaert said. “Seeing all the familiar and new faces of the UFC staff and recognizing that I get to do this, and this was a dream of mine when I started fighting at 19.”
“GM3” enters his bout against Bryan Barberena on a two-fight skid after dropping contests to Joe Pyfer and Andre Petroski. Of course, no fighter likes to lose, but when you have been in this game for as long as Meerschaert has, you learn to deal with the ups and downs it brings.
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“(Losing is) never something you want to have to do, but if you can keep improving, take whatever good pieces you can from it and then examine what parts led to that and correct those things, then it's okay,” Meerschaert said.
When he looks at the matchup between him and “Bam Bam,” it’s one that excites him because of the various routes it could take.
“He is really tough, really good on the feet,” Meerschaert said. “He's really good at drawing people into brawls and he's really good about when he gets taken down immediately trying to get back up on the cage. It's not like he's going to go for submissions, but he is really good about getting his head up, getting height, and not letting you pin him to the floor, so it's going to make it a competitive fight.”
Main Event Spotlight | UFC Fight Night: Tuivasa vs Tybura
There’s no secret that many of Meerschaert’s successes come on the ground, as the BJJ black belt has 27 of his 35 wins by submission. His opponent, Barberena, is more of a striker, with 11 of his 18 wins coming by knockout.
It’ll be a clash of styles when the two middleweights step in the Octagon inside the UFC APEX.
“My grappling is what I have, that’s why I have many submissions,” Meerschaert said. “It's pretty cut and dried for both of us. He's a standup guy. I'm the grappler. I probably would say I have better standup than he does grappling, but he's still really tough and I think that makes up for a lot.”
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It could be a quick night in the office for Meerschaert, but if it’s not, that is something he is more than ready for.
“I know what I want it to look like and I know the direction that it will probably end up going,” Meerschaert said. “Mentally, I've prepared for a 15-minute war, and it could turn into that. It could get bloody; it could get crazy and that’s all good with me.”
The Kill Cliff FC product said the key to getting his hand raised on Saturday night is staying calm and focused, but if does face adversity, it will be important for him to roll quite literally with the punches and keep moving forward.
Rankings Report | Week of March 11, 2024
Starting his 2024 campaign with a win would put Meerschaert back on track and set up a strong year in the Octagon.
“Hopefully I can fight at least three times this year; it all depends on what happens Saturday, how my body's holding up and all that stuff,” Meerschaert said. “But I definitely want to get at least three in, if I can four, so hopefully sometime between June and August for the next one.”
UFC Fight Night: Tuivasa vs Tybura took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 16, 2024. See the final Prelims and Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass.
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