UFC Fight Night 239 video: Gerald Meerschaert ties Anderson Silva's record with slick submission

Anderson Silva was unseated as the UFC's all-time middleweight finishes leader on Saturday – and Gerald Meerschaert was the man to do it.

LAS VEGAS – Gerald Meerschaert tied one of the longest standing records in the UFC on Saturday when he choked Bryan Barberena unconscious at UFC Fight Night 239.

Meerschaert (36-17 MMA, 11-9 UFC) notched his 11th finish in UFC middleweight competition and matched Anderson Silva’s all-time divisional finishes record at the UFC Apex. After putting a grappling pace on Barberena (18-12 MMA, 9-10 UFC), he locked in a rear-naked choke/neck crank that put the lights out at the 4:23 mark of Round 3.

Check out a replay of the historic outcome below (via X):

Gerald Meerschaert put Bryan Barberena to sleep #UFCVegas88 pic.twitter.com/d3jNpLc6Gf

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 16, 2024

Meerschaert, 36, played it cool in the aftermath of the fight. The longtime veteran told Michael Bisping he made the fight “easy” on himself this time around compared to previous fights, and he intends to relax after joining a legendary figure in the record books.

“What’s next for me, Michael, is a beer and a nap,” Meerschaert told Bisping in his post-fight interview.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 2389 results include:

• Gerald Meerschaert def. Bryan Barberena via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 4:23
• Mike Davis def. Natan Levy via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 2, 1:43
• Chelsea Chandler def. Josiane Nunes via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Jafel Filho def. Ode Osbourne via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:27
• Danny Silva def. Josh Culibao via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Jaqueline Amorim def. Cory McKenna via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 1:38
• Thiago Moises def. Mitch Ramirez via TKO (leg kicks) – Round 3, 0:15
• Chad Anheliger def. Charalampos Grigoriou via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 239.