Two exciting middleweight prospects will try to get back in the win column as submission specialist Gerald Meerschaert collides with the young and talented Trevin Giles at UFC on ESPN 5. As they prepare for this Aug. 3 encounter to be held in Newark, New Jersey, here are some important numbers that define their matchup.
Professional experience
At 26 years of age, Giles started his career with a win over Angelus Raymond McFarlane at Legacy Fighting Championship 27 held on Jan. 31, 2014. That makes the Texas Elite MMA standout a 12-year pro. Meerschaert, on the other hand, has been a professional since March 10, 2007 when he lost to Jay Ellis at an event called Freestyle Combat Challenge 26. Giles owns a record of 11-1 while Meerschaert registers a 28-11 ledger.Octagon appearances
The more experienced Meerschaert has appeared in the Octagon seven times, debuting on Dec. 9, 2016 at UFC Fight Night 102. That night, he made heads turn with a first-round anaconda choke of Joe Gigliotti. He submitted Ryan Janes in his next fight before suffering his first loss to Thiago Santos. After that, he beat Eric Spicely and Oskar Piechota then lost to Jack Hermansson and Kevin Holland.Against Meerschaert, Giles will be gunning for his third win in four Ultimate Fighting Championship fights. He debuted on July 8, 2017 with a second-round knockout of James Bochnovic at UFC 213. He followed it up with another submission, this time of Antonio Braga Neto before tapping to Zak Cummings’ guillotine choke.
Knockout rate
Giles and Meerschaert are dynamic fighters who are comfortable wherever the fight goes. Standing up, Giles has been impressive in the UFC, with his two knockout wins. In all, he has posted five victories by KO or TKO, making for a 45 percent knockout rate. Apart from Bochnovic and Neto, he also starched Terrance Ferguson, Larry Crowe and Robert McCarthy.Meerschaert is a Roufusport product who has six knockout wins to his name. With 28 triumphs in total, he registers a 21 percent knockout rate. His victims include Shane Kruchten, Jim Klimczyk, Jay Ellis, Keith Smetana, Lucas Rota and Spicely.
Submission rate
Leave it to Meerschaert, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, to finish most of his bouts by submission. He has so far stopped 20, which makes for a 71 percent submission rate. UFC fighters that have been on the receiving end of his nasty chokes and locks are Piechota, Janes and Gigliotti. Meerschaert has finished opponents with all sorts of techniques, including the guillotine choke, rear-naked choke, triangle choke, arm triangle, anaconda choke, armbar, kimura, kneebar and neck crank.Giles owns as many submissions as knockouts with five. He started his career with two submission victories and later tallied three more. All but one of them were at LFC. The Houston, Texas, native used the rear-naked choke twice, arm triangle, inverted triangle choke and armbar.