Gerald Meerschaert’s nearly two-decade MMA career has officially come to an end, and the veteran leaves the UFC with a record that even some of the division’s biggest names can’t match. The 38-year-old, who holds the record for the most finishes in UFC middleweight history to date, announced his retirement right after suffering his sixth consecutive defeat at UFC Vegas 122 tonight.

Meerschaert faced Julius Walker, an opponent more than a decade younger than him, in the featured prelims at the UFC Apex. Coming into the bout on a five-fight losing streak, ‘GM3’ had moved up to light heavyweight in search of a much-needed victory. However, the change in weight class did little to alter his fortunes.

Walker, who himself was coming off a two-fight losing streak, made his youth and physicality count early, landing heavy shots that repeatedly damaged Meerschaert in the opening round. The 27-year-old’s work earned him a clear 10-8 lead in the first round and left the veteran with a steep hill to climb.

Walker sensed an opportunity to finish the fight in the second round and wasted little time pursuing it. He continued pressing forward, secured the top position, and unleashed a barrage of punches until the referee stepped in at the 3:35 mark of Round 2 to award him the TKO victory.

The defeat extended Gerald Meerschaert’s losing streak to six, but the veteran had already made up his mind about what would come next. During his Octagon interview after the loss, ‘GM3’ confirmed that his time competing in MMA had indeed come to an end.

“I have had a good run, Michael, you know,” Meerschaert told Michael Bisping. “I have set a couple of records. I have did some things. Maybe 205, I should have done that a little bit earlier. But them boys are big up there, you know what I mean.

“So, can’t fight forever. I got some big opportunities to make money for my family and make a good living. Man, I had a hell of a time out here performing for you guys. I can’t think of a better job. I’m gonna miss ya.”

The emotional farewell brings the curtain down on a career that has taken Gerald Meerschaert through multiple promotions and some of the UFC’s toughest middleweight matchups.

While Meerschaert did not get the fairy-tale ending a 60-fight veteran like him deserves, the circumstances of his final fight do little to diminish the records and accomplishments he leaves behind.

The UFC veteran currently holds the record for the most finishes in UFC middleweight history, with 12, surpassing Anderson Silva’s 11.

But that’s not all.

The 37-23 fighter also holds the UFC middleweight record for the most submission victories, at 11, a spot he shares with Demian Maia. Coincidentally, he broke both records on the same night in August 2024 when he submitted Edmen Shahbazyan in the second round at UFC Vegas 96.

The two achievements alone give ‘GM3’ a place among the division’s most prolific fighters. But his record extends beyond the finishing tally in the middleweight division.

The Wisconsin native also sits in an elite multi-fighter tie for the 4th-most submission wins in overall UFC history, trailing only Charles Oliveira, Jim Miller, and Demian Maia.

Oh, but there’s more.

Out of Gerald Meerschaert’s 12 career victories inside the UFC Octagon, 11 came via submission. This specific ratio translates to a 91.7% submission-to-win rate, which ranks as the second-highest submission finish rate in UFC history, just behind Brazilian heavyweight Valter Walker(100%).

Across his nearly 20-year professional mixed martial arts career, he has amassed a total of 35 stoppage wins (29 submissions, 6 KO/TKOs) out of his 37 total career victories. That equals an astonishing 94.6% career finish rate, meaning he rarely ever let a victory go to the judges’ scorecards.

These records are a fitting reflection of the fight style that has defined much of Gerald Meerschaert’s MMA career.

Rather than relying on decisions, the middleweight veteran consistently looked for opportunities to finish opponents, particularly on the ground, even as his results became less favorable toward the end of his UFC run.

As such, Meerschaert’s name will remain in the UFC record books for the foreseeable future.

However, the veteran’s legacy is not limited to statistics. His longevity in the sport and the range of opponents he faced also helped make him a familiar presence in the middleweight division for years.

The Wisconsin native started his professional MMA career back in 2007. After spending years fighting for different promotions, Meerschaert’s door to the UFC finally opened in 2016, right after he became the RFA champion.

His journey in the UFC remained a story of ups and downs. However, he secured some notable wins over Dustin Stoltzfus, Bruno Silva, Trevin Giles, Makhmud Muradov, and others. His last win came against Edmen Shahbazyan in 2024.

Plus, Meerschaert has shared the cage with almost all the big names in the middleweight division, like Reinier de Ridder, Kevin Holland, Khamzat Chimaev, and Joe Pyfer.

‘GM3’ leaves the UFC having taken part in a whopping 27 fights, finishing his promotional run with a 12-15 record tonight.

Those numbers tell the story of a fighter who spent years competing at the highest level. But while the public saw the results of his final fight, the decision to walk away had been taking shape privately for some time.

Gerald Meerschaert kept his retirement decision private before UFC Vegas 122 loss

Given Meerschaert’s age and his five-fight losing streak entering UFC Vegas 122, retirement was an understandable possibility. However, the veteran did not publicly reveal the extent of his plans before stepping into the Octagon against Walker.

It was a decision he had largely kept between himself and his wife. Speaking at the post-fight press conference, Meerschaert explained that he had considered retirement before the bout but wanted to keep those discussions private rather than allow them to affect his preparation or his team.

“I have been thinking about it,” Meerschaert said at the presser. “It was mostly between me and my wife. I kept it pretty close to the chest. I didn’t want any thoughts of that like swaying or changing how I did anything with my team. But, I mean, we knew it was all gonna be close to the last one if it wasn’t the last one. Yeah… I’m pretty much done.”

His comments made it clear that UFC Vegas 122 had always carried the possibility of being his final appearance. The loss to Walker ultimately brought that decision into focus, even if Meerschaert acknowledged that there could be one circumstance in which he might reconsider.

Despite announcing his retirement, the veteran left a small opening for the UFC to offer him a special opportunity to say goodbye.

“I mean, like… if the UFC came back and said like, ‘Hey… we’re going to you know, we’ll give you one that somewhere we think to your advantage and we wanna do something special.’ I might think about it,” he added.

That possibility remains conditional, rather than a sign that Meerschaert intends to return. For now, he appears ready to move on after years of training, competing, and making sacrifices for the sport.

He is not the only veteran to have recently brought a lengthy career to a close. Before Meerschaert, the UFC world also saw Court McGee retire at UFC 332, another reminder that the sport continues to move forward even as familiar names step away.

Gerald Meerschaert’s final night may not have delivered the victory he wanted, but it did mark the end of a career defined by persistence, experience, and an exceptional ability to finish fights. Whether the UFC eventually offers him the special send-off he hinted he might consider remains to be seen.