Gerald Meerschaert's career is over. The 38 year old announced his retirement after Julius Walker stopped him in the second round of the featured prelim at UFC Vegas 122, bringing an end to a pro run that saw him make his 60th professional appearance, 27 of them inside the UFC.

According to, Meerschaert had moved up to light heavyweight for the matchup and was the older man by 11 years. He circled on the outside early before Walker closed the distance and eventually got the finish, with the stoppage coming on punches in round two at the 3:35 mark., and all confirmed the same outcome and the retirement announcement that followed.

Our own Elo model had Meerschaert sitting at 1451 built off nine tracked bouts, while Walker, with only four fights in the sample, rated just ahead at 1455. The numbers were close on paper, but the gap in experience and the result on the night told a different story.

Meerschaert built a reputation over the years as a durable UFC fixture, someone who kept showing up and kept taking fights even as the skid piled up.

Fans are already talking about it. A thread on r/MMA asking which current UFC fighters have fallen the furthest from their peak is making the rounds, and Meerschaert's name fits squarely into that conversation given how his final run played out.

For Walker, the win adds another data point to a short but growing UFC resume. For Meerschaert, it's the final chapter of a long career that saw him make his 60th professional appearance.