Gerald Meerschaert and Reinier de Ridder meet Saturday in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 247 at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
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Gerald Meerschaert vs. Reinier de Ridder UFC Fight Night 247 preview
Meerschaert (37-17 MMA, 12-9 UFC) brings his high-level submission game to the cage against a debuting opponent with a lot of promise. Entering on the heels of back-to-back submissions of Bryan Barberena and Edmen Shahbazyan, “GM3” will look to extend his winning streak to three, matching his previous UFC high. … Former ONE Championship two-division titleholder De Ridder (17-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) debuts after a July first-round finish of Magomedmurad Khasaev under the UAE Warriors banner. In ONE Championship, de Ridder won the light heavyweight and heavyweight titles, recording two defenses of the 205-pound title.
Gerald Meerschaert vs. Reinier de Ridder UFC Fight Night 247 expert pick, prediction
Serving as one of the few points of interest on this card is a middleweight matchup between UFC stalwart Meerschaert and newcomer de Ridder.
A black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu who comes from a judo base, de Ridder has achieved titles in ONE Championship’s middleweight and light heavyweight divisions through his standout submission savvy.
That said, Meerschaert, who holds the most submission wins in UFC middleweight history, presents an interesting test for the Dutch debutant.
Although Meerschaert technically stands at 2-4 opposite UFC-level southpaws (though that stat could easily read 3-3 if his fight with Eryk Anders was adjudicated correctly), “GM3” – despite his speed and size – appears to be the more skilled striker of the two.
I could certainly see a competitive grappling fight that favors de Ridder if he can both successfully takedown and scramble with Meerschaert, but I still have a hard time going against the more proven product in this spot.
I’ll take Meerschaert to give de Ridder a luke-warm welcoming that’s reminiscent of Tim Boetch’s win over a debuting Hector Lombard.
The pick is Meerschaert by unanimous decision.
Gerald Meerschaert vs. Reinier de Ridder UFC Fight Night 247 odds
The oddsmakers and public favor the Dutch fighter, listing de Ridder -310 and Meerschaert +240 via FanDuel.
Gerald Meerschaert vs. Reinier de Ridder UFC Fight Night 247 start time, how to watch
As the co-main event, Meerschaert and de Ridder are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 8:35 p.m. ET (5:35 p.m. PT). The fight will stream on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 247.
