UFC Vegas 96: Gerald Meerschaert completes another wild comeback with second-round submission

As the commentary team mentioned on the broadcast, the win put Meerschaert in sole possession of the most finishes in UFC middleweight history, passing Anderson Silva. Of his 12 finishes in the Octagon, 11 have been by submission, putting him third in UFC history in that category behind Charles Oliveira and Jim Miller.

At 36, Meerschaert proved he still has a lot left in his career and is on his first win streak since 2021. The veteran's current win streak began with a win over Bryan Barberena at UFC Vegas 88 that ended a rough 1-3 stretch.

While Meerschaert developed a name for himself with his consistently elite grappling game throughout his career, he has become equally as known for his ability to pull off seemingly impossible comebacks in fights he is losing. UFC Vegas 96 marked the fifth time Meerschaert won in the UFC while landing less significant strikes than his opponent.

In a division that has entered a new era with Dricus du Plessis as the champion, middleweight feels as wide-open as ever. Meerschaert will not be making any sort of run for the title at his age and striking limitations but issued a stern reminder that he is still a bonafide top-30 fighter of the weight class with a submission win over a man once ranked in the top 10.

Still just 26, Shahbazyan has more than enough time to right the ship. However, MMA is an often unforgiving sport that just delivered a rude awakening to those who wrote off Meerschaert.