There was one indiscretion on the scale ahead of Saturday’s UFC event Down Under.
The Octagon is back in Australia this week, as MMA’s leading promotion returns to the RAC Arena in Perth.
Hometown favorite Jack Della Maddalena will headline the card in what will mark his first fight since losing the welterweight title. To bounce back, Della Maddalena must beat Carlos Prates on May 2.
Both the Australian and Brazilian stars successfully made weight ahead of fight night on Friday, but the same cannot be said for one 25-fight UFC veteran.
- LATEST NEWS: Stat proves UFC Perth headliner Carlos Prates is the most violent fighter in the promotion
Who is more likely to win a UFC title in the future: Jack Della Maddalena or Carlos Prates?
Explain your pick in the comments below
Gerald Meerschaert fined after missing the middleweight limit by four pounds for UFC Perth
Among the notable names set to compete on the UFC Perth undercard is middleweight vet Gerald Meerschaert.
‘GM3’ will help set the stage for the exciting main event between Della Maddalena and Prates alongside the likes of Tai Tuivasa, Beneil Dariush, Steve Erceg, and Shamil Gaziev.
But things did not go to plan for the 38-year-old on Friday, as he missed weight for the first time in his professional career.
It wasn’t a small error, either. Meerschaert weighed in four pounds over the 186-pound limit for middleweight non-title fights.
His fight with Jacob Malkoun remains intact, but the American will be going home without 30 percent of his purse after being fined as a result of his weight struggles.
Gerald Meerschaert has lost four fights in a row before UFC Perth
Meerschaert will be entering the Octagon for the 26th time at UFC Perth. He has competed at 185 pounds for his entire career in the promotion.
Friday’s weight miss marked the latest difficult moment on what has been the 38-year-old’s worst run so far.
He has lost his last four fights, leaving him winless since a bonus-winning victory over Edmen Shahbazyan in 2024.
Most recently, Meerschaert faced calls to retire after being submitted by Kyle Daukaus at UFC 322 last November.
It will likely be a similar story if he falls to a fifth consecutive setback in Australia this Saturday.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best Bloody Elbow content each week direct to your mailbox
