Meerschaert vs. Tavares: Middleweight Fight at UFC 105
Brad Tavares earned a unanimous decision over Gerald Meerschaert on April 5, 2025, at the APEX in Las Vegas. Each judge scored the middleweight bout 29-28 for Tavares after three rounds. The victory ended a two-fight losing streak and gave Tavares his 16th win in the promotion’s middleweight division, tying Michael Bisping’s divisional record at the time. The official scorecards confirm the result and scores.
A matchup between experienced middleweights
Tavares and Meerschaert brought very different strengths to the contest. Tavares has long relied on composed kickboxing and defensive discipline, while Meerschaert is known for his submission game and his ability to turn scrambles into finishing opportunities. The bout offered a familiar strategic question: could Meerschaert bring the fight into grappling exchanges, or would Tavares keep enough distance to land cleanly over three rounds?
Despite a combined 47 previous appearances in the promotion, the two veterans had never fought one another before this card. That made the matchup a first-time meeting between familiar names in the division, with each looking to regain momentum. Tavares had lost his previous two bouts, while Meerschaert came in after a submission loss to Reinier de Ridder in November 2024.
Tavares keeps the contest on his terms
Across the 15 minutes, Tavares out-hustled Meerschaert and did enough with his striking to take all three judges’ cards. Meerschaert’s path depended on grappling, but he did not land a takedown. His attempts to close distance and turn the contest into a ground fight were repeatedly denied, leaving Tavares able to work in the stand-up portions. The official event recap characterized Tavares’ performance as an out-hustling effort.
The official fight statistics show Tavares landed 47 significant strikes to Meerschaert’s 38, while Meerschaert went 0-for-8 on takedown attempts. Those numbers help explain how Tavares controlled the terms of the matchup without needing a knockdown or a late finish. By keeping his defensive work sound and maintaining a higher striking output, he gave the judges a steady body of work to score.
All three scorecards read 29-28, so the contest was competitive rather than a shutout. The unanimous verdict reflected Tavares doing enough across the rounds to secure the win, even as Meerschaert continued to look for openings to change the fight. No judge saw the bout as a wide margin; each had Tavares ahead by one round on a standard 10-point must scorecard.
A milestone for Tavares
The win carried significance beyond the result. Tavares reached 16 victories in the middleweight division, matching Michael Bisping for the most wins in the division’s history as of April 2025. He also added another full three-round performance to his long career, continuing a record for total fight time in the division. The event’s statistical recap documented both milestones.
For Meerschaert, the setback came in a fight where his strongest route—getting Tavares down and threatening submissions—never fully opened. For Tavares, the decision showed how his defensive fundamentals and steady output could blunt a dangerous grappler. The official main-card recap notes the milestone and records his unanimous decision victory.
Tavares spoke with Michael Bisping after the fight. His Octagon interview is embedded below.
