There is a new record holder for most finishes in UFC middleweight history, and his name is Gerald Meerschaert.
Meerschaert's history-making performance came in comeback fashion on top of that, going from nearly getting finished by Edmen Shahbazyan to scoring a second-round submission in the opening bout of the UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Borralho main card.
The veteran 185lber was in trouble early in the sophomore stanza when Shahbazyan dropped him with a body shot. "The Golden Boy" got right to work with fast-paced ground-and-pound, looking to finish Meerschaert off as "GM3" covered up and looked to move away.
Fortunately for the 36-year-old, a lot of the punches from Shahbazyan went off the arms, allowing Meerschaert to stay in the fight.
The once highly touted prospect stayed on the ground as he stopped his attack, which also played right into Meerschaert's favor. The grappling specialist was able to make his way into an arm-triangle and score the submission.
Loading tweet...
Gerald Meerschaert Sets New Record For Most Finishes In UFC Middleweight Division History
The tap-out was Meerschaert's 12th finish in the UFC middleweight division, his 11th via submission.
The longtime divisional mainstay now moves to 37-17 in his career and has won two straight and three of his last five fights.
Shahbazyan, meanwhile, is now 2-2 in his last four following a three-fight losing skid. He has not strung together consecutive wins since 2019.