After 60 pro cage fights, Gerald Meershaert is retiring from the UFC.
The 38-year-old Meershaert lost to Julius Walker at UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Duncan last night, his sixth loss in a row in the UFC. That was enough for the middleweight fighter: he took his gloves off in the cage and retired in a touching speech with Michael Bisping.
“Yeah, I’ve had a good run, Michael,” Meerschaert said. “I set a couple records, I’ve did some things. Maybe 205, I should have done that a little earlier, but them
boys are big up there, you know what I mean?”
“Can’t fight forever,” he continued. “I’ve got some good opportunities to make money for my family and make a good living. I’ve had a hell of a time out here to perform for you guys. I can’t think of a better job. I’m going to miss you.”
Meerschaert quietly amassed some impressive UFC records, including most finishes at middleweight (12) and most submission finishes (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 butts were legal. I’m getting too old for this stuff. This will probably be it for me.”
You’d hope a guy with 27 UFC fights would be able to retire from fighting and never work again, but Meerschaert will be moving into the lucrative HVAC world following his hanging up of the gloves.
“I know exactly what I’m going to be doing after this and it has nothing to do with fighting,” he said. “Unlike most of my peers, I’ve got a pretty good head on my shoulders. I’m going to do some stuff more in the corporate setting and make my money that way. I’ll get to work in air conditioning now and get to have all my clothes on.”
“It’s going to be a real big change of pace for me.”
Meerschaert may have had a limited skillset, but was one of those guys who always showed up ready and willing to upset anyone who didn’t take him seriously. It was a hell of a ten year run with the UFC, and we wish him all the best in his new career path.
