Deron Winn

185: Gerald Meerschaert vs. Deron Winn

Round 1
Opening up the ESPN prelims -- they are also on ESPN+ and were slightly delayed due to the UNC-Duke basketball game -- is a middleweight affair as Roufusport product Meerschaert (30-12, 5-4 UFC) tries to hand Winn (6-1, 1-1 UFC) his second straight defeat after Winn started his career at 6-0. There is no nonsense to be found in the cage, as referee Keith Peterson will make sure of that. Winn tries to jab his way in and eats a body kick and then a left hand. Meerschaert throws a leg kick, but it lands loudly on the peninsula south of the Equator and we have an early pause in the action. After a break of around a minute, Winn is good to go, and starts the fight back up and eats a few punches on the way forward. Meerschaert goes low with a kick, and takes a huge left hand on the chin. “GM3” takes it like a champ and closes the distance, where Winn scoops him up and puts him down. Instead of diving in after him, Winn backs off to let him stand. When Meerschaert gets to his feet, Winn starts winging heavy punches, backing Meerschaert up against the fence. Meerschaert survives the assault and fires a solid body kick, before taking a leg kick from the shorter fighter. Meerschaert connects with a left right down the pipe, and tries to follow it with a looping right hand but Winn darts out of the way. Winn blows the hair back of his opponent with a surprising head kick, and then dings him to the midsection with a body kick. Winn is loading up on his punches, and connects on a few more including a fierce left hook. When Winn tries to crowd him, Meerschaert sneaks a knee up the middle that stops Winn from advancing for a moment. Winn regathers himself and stings Meerschaert with a few hefty punches, but “GM3” takes them without much concern. Meerschaert connects with a stiff one-two, and Winn stands straight up and counters with a left as if he had not been punched at all. Winn lands a right hand, and then catches Meerschaert with a left hand that has Meerschaert blinking and wiping his eye. There is some damage beneath that right eye of Meerschaert, but he is undeterred as he ends the round with a looping right hand.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Winn
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Winn
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Winn

Round 2
Meerschaert starts off with a jab, and then chains together a one-two before landing one more. Winn tries to kick low, but his best punch in the exchange is a stiff left. Meerschaert aims to the body with another kick, and steps back as if to avoid a counterpunch, but there is none to come. Meerschaert throws two hooks, and Winn digs to the body before throwing a right to the head. To try to keep Winn at bay, Meerschaert sticks out his jab, and Winn closes the distance with a looping left hook that barely misses. Winn is content to land the counter left and an occasional power jab, but digs to the body with a punch. Meerschaert is not outshined by that strike, as he lands a thudding body kick. Meerschaert has started to get his range, as he lands a series of left hands and right jabs. Winn goes after the lead leg with a kick, but Meerschaert sticks him with his lefts. Winn tries to take the fight down, but Meerschaert gets to his knee and then stands up as Winn fires a high kick at him. Meerschaert triples up the jab and follows it with a left hand, and Winn shrugs it off as he also absorbs a heavy body kick. Winn fires a successful low kick, but his two leaping hooks are well off the mark as Meerschaert is halfway across the cage by the time Winn gets to him. They land heavy jabs, and Meerschaert targets the body as if he were Stipe Miocic repeatedly aiming for Daniel Cormier’s midsection. He lands another, and Winn winces. The body is hurt for Winn, so Meerschaert targets it with a kick and then another two punches. Winn loads up on a huge right hand and lands it, but Meerschaert is undaunted as he kicks the body and then tries to bring up a knee. The round ends with one more thumping punch to the torso by Meerschaert.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Meerschaert
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Meerschaert
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Meerschaert

Round 3
Meerschaert commences the last round with a jab, and Winn reaches with a body kick that barely lands with his toes. Meerschaert puts together a left hand, followed by one to the body. He targets the body once more, and the strike has seemed to land at will for him. Winn loads up with a massive right hand, and Meerschaert’s knees buckle for a moment as we see a cut on the left eye of Meerschaert. “GM3” circles out of danger and gets his left back from beneath him, but Winn is swinging for the fences with another massive right hand -- it is short. Meerschaert sticks him with a jab, and a subsequent left hook hurts Winn. The punches continue to mount for Meerschaert, and Winn stumbles across the cage. As Meerschaert pours it on, Winn falls over, so Meerschaert hunts for a guillotine choke. While Winn defends the choke, Meerschaert sees an opening and circles around to take Winn’s back.
In no time at all, Meerschaert seeks out a rear-naked choke. Winn defends it by trying to yank the arm away, but the choke that almost appears to be a neck crank is too tight. Winn can resist no further and taps, and thereby suffers the first stoppage loss of his career.
This is a huge win for "GM3," and he praises his opponent in his post-fight interview for "bringing out the best in me."

The Official Result
Gerald Meerschaert def. Deron Winn R3 2:13 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)