UFC Vegas 100 delivered an intense middleweight clash between Reinier de Ridder and Gerald Meerschaert, with de Ridder’s impressive grappling skills ultimately securing him the win in his Octagon debut. The former ONE FC two-division champion arrived with high expectations, and he didn’t disappoint, stopping Meerschaert in the third round with an arm-triangle choke.
Coming into the fight, de Ridder (18-2 MMA) was fresh off a first-round TKO victory in his last MMA appearance in July, where he defeated Magomedmurad Khasaev. Meanwhile, Meerschaert (37-18 MMA), a well-known grappling specialist, entered on a two-fight win streak, boasting back-to-back submission wins over Bryan Barberena and Edmen Shahbazyan.
UFC Fighters React to Reinier de Ridder Submitting Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Vegas 100
The fight started with explosive moments from both sides. De Ridder came close to finishing in the first round, connecting with a sharp elbow and a powerful left hand that dropped Meerschaert to the mat just before the bell. Despite the knockdown, Meerschaert stayed resilient and came out strong in the second round. He pressured de Ridder, displaying his own grappling skills, and appeared to level the score by the end of round two.
However, the momentum swung back to de Ridder in the third. He took the fight to the mat early, and once he gained control, he wasted no time in setting up an arm-triangle choke. The move forced Meerschaert to tap, sealing de Ridder’s first win in the UFC.
Official UFC Vegas 100 Result: Reinier de Ridder def. Gerald Meerschaert via submission (arm-triangle choke) in Round 3.
The bout drew significant attention from fans and fighters alike, with several pro fighters chiming in on social media:
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
