Ge erald Meerschaert in victory in the ufc vegas 96. Photo: Reproduction/UFC
Like a phoenix, Gerald meerschaert broke the bank and broke the record for submissions in the middleweight division (up to 83,9kg.) after an emotional victory over Edmen shahbazyan. At 36 years old, the veteran resisted the great punishment applied by his rival, used experience to deal with a delicate moment and ended the confrontation with a shot out of the hat, forcing his compatriot to withdraw.
A high-level black belt, Gerald reached 11 submission victories on his way through Ultimate and became the first athlete to achieve a feat in the category reigned by Dricus du Plessis. A big underdog in the bookmakers, the North American took another step towards the top 15 in the division.
See too
On the other hand, Edmen wasted the opportunity to achieve a second consecutive triumph and now has six wins and five losses in the UFC.
Ronda Rousey's pupil withdraws from submission record holder
The confrontation began with Edmen walking forward and cornering Gerald on the fence, aiming for blows to the face and waistline. Experienced, Meerschaert withstood pressure and relied on counterattacks to surprise his compatriot. Determined to get the knockout, Edmen didn't give up on his strategy and continued with an offensive stance, mixing powerful kicks and punches on the veteran's body.
At the beginning of the second round, Gerald started the fight looking for takedowns, but was unsuccessful in applying the action. After receiving a hard blow to the waist, the veteran felt and resisted the brutal sequence of punches and elbows from Shahbazyan, who accepted the ground fight and remained aggressive on top while the referee analyzed the delicate moment. Unsuccessful in getting an interruption, Edmen decided to get up after his rival started trying submissions from below. Even with the initiative, the fighter ended up being taken down moments later and visibly tired, he was unable to resist Gerald's high level of jiu-jitsu, who finished him with a very well applied katagatame.
Ecuadorian promise dispatches Neil Magny and debuts in the welterweight top 15
Michael Morales with his team in UFC victory. Photo: Reproduction/Twitter @ufc
Big favorite in the bookmakers, Michel Morales was not aware of Neil Magny and ended the veteran's expectations of getting closer to the top 10 in the welterweight division. With a successful elbow applied, the Ecuadorian injured the North American and gave him no chance of recovery, forcing the referee to interrupt the duel after hard punches were thrown from above, on the ground.
Undefeated, Morales took another step towards the UFC's elite and won for the fifth time since being hired by the organization. Known for his technical style, the athlete knocked out his third rival and now expects to steal the 12th place position occupied by the veteran in the category ranking.
On the other hand, Magny distanced himself from approaching the champion and suffered 11 setbacks in the organization. At 37 years old, the fighter revealed that he was inspired by Glover Teixeira to become king of the division, even at an advanced age compared to the fighters on the squad.
You need login To comment.