Julius Walker got his first UFC finish Saturday at UFC Vegas 122. He buried Gerald Meerschaert under ground and pound until the referee stepped in at 3:35 of Round 2, and Meerschaert announced his retirement right after. It was the 60th professional fight of Meerschaert’s career and his first at light heavyweight.
The bout closed out the prelims on Paramount Plus. It was a matchup of a 27-year-old and a 38-year-old, and it played out that way. According to Cageside Press, Meerschaert spent the early minutes circling on the outside while Walker stalked him. When they tied up, Walker was smart enough to leave the clinch quickly instead of staying near one of the slickest grapplers the middleweight division ever produced. He threw an elbow on the break that missed, then went to the body. Meerschaert landed a knee that strayed a little low, which bought Walker a short breather. On the restart Walker got a takedown.
That’s when GM3 gave the crowd the version of himself they came to see one last time. He grabbed an arm from his back and locked up an armbar. Walker slammed his way out, got back on top, and went to work. He threw elbows that were blocked and punches to the side of the head that weren’t. He also briefly hunted an arm-triangle from mount, though he wasn’t in the right position to finish it. Meerschaert recovered guard and survived the round, but it was clearly Walker’s.
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Round 2 went the same way. Meerschaert opened with a kick, and Walker pinned him on the fence, threw knees, hooked a leg and tripped him down with very little resistance. Working from half guard, Walker looked for a kimura before switching to elbows. Meerschaert threw up a triangle, and Walker stepped out of it easily. GM3 got back to his feet with two minutes left and threw a few hooks to the body. He was taken down again almost immediately, covered up under a last flurry, and the referee waved it off. The size difference was obvious all night.
Six straight, then the gloves came off
Meerschaert came in on a five-fight skid, so this made it six losses in a row. He removed his gloves in the cage before he said anything. “I’ve had a good run,” he said, and he mentioned the records he’d collected along the way. “Can’t fight forever.” He talked about the money he’d made to support his family, then signed off with: “Can’t think of a better job. I’m going to miss you.”
Walker, whom the UFC’s own account calls “Juice Box,” improves to 8-3. He promised to share the microphone with his opponent, then spoke about mental health. He revealed that the mother of his daughter had died and said he’s taking the girl to Disneyland.
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My take: the referee got the timing right. There was no early wave-off and nobody stood over a defenseless man for 30 extra seconds. Meerschaert fought off his back until he couldn’t anymore, which is exactly how he’d want to go out. He chose to stay on the mat even when he had a chance to stand up, because the guard was his home for 60 fights. As for Walker, he gets a Disneyland trip, a first UFC finish, and a much bigger matchup the next time he’s booked.
