Gerald Meerschaert may have surpassed Anderson Silva in the UFC record for most wins in the middleweight division, but he is not letting the distinction bother him.
Meerschaert shared the Octagon with Edmen Shahbazyan in the opening fight of UFC Vegas 96. It was “The Machine” who won by submission in the second round, his second consecutive victory. Meerschaert also secured a “Performance of the Night” bonus.
Meerschaert now has 12 wins in the UFC middleweight division, overtaking Anderson Silva on the all-time list.
RELATED: UFC VEGAS 96 RESULTS – GERALD MEERSCHAERT STOPS EDMEN SHAHBAZYAN (VIDEO)
Gerald Meerschaert downplays new UFC record
During a media frenzy following his win at UFC Vegas 96, Gerald Meerschaert said that while achieving a record-breaking statistic is nothing to be sniffed at, he is more focused on maintaining his momentum (via MMAJunkie).
“It’s cool to say that. You know what I mean? I’m not thinking about it much right now. It’s just one fight at a time,” Meerschaert said. “I wish I could give you more than that, because it’s a cool thing. Honestly, when I sit here and stop to give myself a little pat on the back, it’s great to hear my name in the same conversation or sentence as someone like Anderson Silva or Demian Maia. That’s great, but I still have a lot of fighting spirit left in me. I have a lot more fights to go. When I hang them up, though, that’ll be a cool thing to throw around. …
“It’s cool to say that for now, and then when I retire, it will be fun to tell my kids and see that they don’t care.”
Meerschaert has been with the UFC since late 2016 and has proven himself to be a combative veteran who is always looking for the finishing touches. With a whopping 29 submission wins in his career, Meerschaert hopes to continue to use his ground fighting skills to succeed in the Octagon.
