LAS VEGAS – Although he’s had 21 fights in the UFC, Gerald Meerschaert didn’t hesitate when he got the call to fight promotional newcomer Reinier de Ridder at UFC Fight Night 247.

De Ridder (17-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) isn’t any ordinary debuting fight. He’s a former two-division titleholder with ONE Championship, and was a celebrated free agent signing by the matchmakers, who wasted no time throwing him in the deep end against middleweight finishes record holder Meerschaert (37-17 MMA, 12-9 UFC) on Saturday’s card at the UFC Apex (ESPN+).

“I think it’s a good thing,” Meerschaert told MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 247 media day. “I think a lot more people know about de Ridder than maybe some of the people who only follow UFC give him credit for. He’s tough. Had a lot of belts in ONE FC, so that’s nothing to shake your head at. It’s fun to be the one to welcome in somebody who was a double champ in a different organization because I think it says a lot about me if I can go out and get that finish on Saturday.”

With back-to-back wins on his resume, Meerschaert is enjoying the current state of his career. Like most fighters, his goal is to move up the rankings and into more relevant matchups. He’s not sure how much beating de Ridder will help with the former, but he said he will be demanding the latter if he gets his hand raised.

“I think a win over de Ridder, if I win impressively enough, I think it could put me at No. 15 (in UFC’s official rankings), but it definitely puts me in the conversation for fighting ranked guys,” Meerschaert said. “Absolutely. That’s what I’m looking forward to. Win on Saturday, I would like to fight someone ranked or just give me somebody that has a decent name on a big card. Fighting somebody high in the ranking is important, but getting eyeballs on you having great performances is just as, if not more so important.”

Meerschaert admitted he’s as curious as anyone to see what de Ridder is capable of at the UFC level, especially given his strong grappling skills. Meerschaert owns the most submission victories in the history of UFC’s 185-pound weight class, so the matchup on the mat is one he is keen to dive into.

“I expect him to be at his best and he’s a very, very good grappler,” Meerschaert said. “Especially straight jiu-jitsu style grappling, he’s one of the last guys that really goes out there and implements that in his game plan. He’s definitely more in the style of a Gunnar Nelson or Demian Maia, and he’s just as dangerous as either one of those guys.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 247.

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