UFC Vegas 88 video: Gerald Meerschaert puts Bryan Barberena to sleep with nasty rear-naked choke
Gerald Meerschaert tied Anderson Silva for the most finishes in middleweight history with his submission win over Bryan Barberena at UFC Vegas 88 on Saturday.
It was a dominant performance from Meerschaert after he secured a takedown and the locked on a nasty rear-naked choke submission that was actually wrapped around Barberena’s chin rather than under his neck. The tremendous pressure still allowed Meerschaert to get the job done after Barberena fell unconscious from the choke with the end coming at 4:23 in the second round.
Gerald Meerschaert put Bryan Barberena to sleep #UFCVegas88 pic.twitter.com/d3jNpLc6Gf
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 16, 2024
“I felt great,” Meerschaert said about the win. “I felt like that was a very mature performance. What’s next for me? A beer and a nap.”
Well known for his grappling prowess, Meerschaert didn’t rush to get takedowns but instead methodically stalked Barberena across the cage, closing the distance and cutting him off so there would be no escape. Meerschaert got the fight to the ground in the opening round where he began working for a kimura but Barberena defended effectively to make it to the horn.
He wasn’t nearly as fortunate in the second round after Meerschaert dragged Barberena to the canvas again, this time advancing his position and locking himself on the back. From there, Meerschaert wasted no time wrapping his arms around for the rear-naked choke with Barberena desperately trying to break free.
Once Meerschaert got his hands locked, he tightened the hold and Barberena fell limp just a moment later with the referee rushing into save him. Afterwards, Meerschaert actually helped Barberena regain consciousness before he got back to his feet again.
Following a tough couple of outings in the octagon, Meerschaert bounced back with his 11th finish in the UFC and 10th submission since joining the organization.