In an highly anticipated middleweight bout at UFC Vegas 100, Reinier de Ridder emerged victorious with a third-round submission over veteran Gerald Meerschaert. Held at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, this matchup saw both fighters displaying their strengths and testing each other’s limits.
De Ridder started the fight cautiously, using kicks to keep Meerschaert at bay. But Meerschaert quickly closed the distance, landing a strong left that forced the Dutch grappler to shoot for a takedown. Meerschaert managed to scramble back to his feet, and the two resumed striking. Meerschaert’s boxing looked sharp, with several clean punches landing. When de Ridder used his jab, it was effective, but his defense—moving straight backward—left him open to Meerschaert’s strikes. Late in the round, de Ridder connected with a powerful 1-2 combination, shifting the momentum as he pressed forward with an elbow and dropped Meerschaert with a left just before the horn.
Reinier de Ridder Submits Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Vegas 100
In the second round, de Ridder leaned back on his grappling, executing a slick trip takedown. But just as he seemed to settle into control, Meerschaert escaped a choke attempt, scrambled to his feet, and landed in top position after de Ridder’s throw misfired. De Ridder accepted the bottom for a moment, but he eventually wrestled his way back to top position. Both fighters traded submission attempts as the round came to a close, setting the stage for a decisive third round.
Early in the third, de Ridder took control, landing the first takedown and moving into mount after a brief scramble. From there, he quickly locked in an arm triangle, forcing Meerschaert to tap. In an instant, after a closely contested battle, the fight was over with de Ridder securing the submission victory.
Despite the back-and-forth action, de Ridder’s persistence paid off in the end, adding a notable submission win over Meerschaert to his record. With his dominant ground game, de Ridder came through his nervy UFC debut.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
