Craig Jones vs. Gerald Meerschaert booked for Polaris 26
Two-time ADCC silver medalist Craig Jones will square off with longtime UFC veteran Gerald Meerschaert at Polaris 26.
Former Polaris champion Craig Jones will soon make his return to the promotion, and he’ll be taking on the most prolific submission artist in the history of the UFC’s middleweight division.
On Saturday, November 4, Jones will square off with 52-fight MMA veteran Gerald Meerschaert. The promotion announced the matchup on Instagram.
A two-time ADCC silver medalist and leader of The B-Team, Jones most recently competed at Quintet 4, where he put on a stellar performance, scoring submissions over Richie Martinez and Geo Martinez to lead his squad to a team victory. Before that, he earned an overtime win over Felipe Pena at the UFC Fight Pass Invitational 4.
Jones is also a former middleweight and light heavyweight Polaris champion, owning victories over the likes of Jake Shields, Keenan Cornelius, and Davi Ramos in the organization.
Meerschaert, meanwhile, has proven to be one of MMA’s top submission artists. The 35-year-old veteran boasts nine submissions in the UFC middleweight division – good for a promotional record. Meerschaert most recently competed in grappling at Fury Pro Grappling 7 in May, dropping a decision to fellow UFC standout Joe Pyfer.
Widely regarded as one of the submission grappling’s top competitors, Jones will come into the bout as a sizeable favorite, but Meerschaert will bring a deep gas tank and gritty submission defense that could give the Australian problems, particularly if the match is dragged into deep waters.
How to watch: Polaris 26 takes place on Saturday, November 4, and will air live on UFC Fight Pass (subscription required).
