UFC Perth early weigh-ins have just concluded, with most fighters successfully hitting the scale. However, a veteran with 58 fights under his belt missed the mark completely, coming in a staggering four pounds over the limit. Well, the good news is the bout will still proceed. The bad? The promotion will punish the fighter by cutting a significant amount from his purse.   

Veteran Gerald Meerschaert came in at 190 lbs, four pounds over the 186 lbs non-title limit for his middleweight bout against Jacob Malkoun in the prelims. As a penalty, ‘GM3’ will forfeit 30% of his purse to his opponent, who made 186 lbs during the weigh-ins, for the bout to remain intact.

For new fans, Meerschaert’s weight miss might look like another slip that happens during weigh-ins. But the hardcore fans would know that a 185 lbs veteran going four pounds over sounds significant, as he missed weight for the first time in his nearly decade-old UFC career.

Though GM3’s run has been overall lackluster with a 12-13 record in the UFC, he remained reliable in making weight. However, the complications of missing weight at this point can be a sign that he’s struggling to keep up with drastic weight cuts at 38 years of age.

Gerald Meerschaert’s last four outings have ended in losses, and he remains winless in the UFC since 2024. So, even though his bout will proceed and he might enter the fight with a size advantage against Jacob Malkoun, the credibility of his performance would be lessened since he missed weight.

Moreover, the Wisconsin native is now ineligible to earn a post-fight bonus after missing weight. In that case, the forfeited amount could prove significant for him.

Now, Meerschaert isn’t the only one who scared the fans. One of the headlining fighters almost gave a heart attack to UFC matchmakers and fans during the UFC Perth early weigh-ins. 

Jack Della Maddalena’s weigh-in at UFC Perth explained  

Jack Della Maddalena has the chance to perform in front of his home crowd after a devastating loss to Islam Makhachev last year at UFC 322. But his UFC Perth bout against Carlos Prates had viewers scratching their heads before the cage door even opened.

The former welterweight champion stepped on the scale the first time, and the announcer called it at 170.4 lbs. He then used the curtain to strip down and come in at 169.8 lbs.

What’s surprising here is that Maddalena was just 0.4 pounds over the 170 lbs championship limit. However, in non-title bouts, like the Perth headliner, fighters are given a one-pound allowance. In that case, the Aussie was still within the acceptable non-title fight limit. So, it’s not entirely clear why Maddalena had to use the box when he was already under the allowed range. Or is it?

JDM’s camp wants that rematch with Islam Makhachev for the title. And every single gesture counts when the division is stacked from top to bottom. Makhachev has at least five contenders licking their chops. But Della Maddalena is the only one licking his wounds.

Coming in at championship weight (or under) proves he means business. Plus, it keeps Prates, who came in at 170 lbs on the dot, from having any mental edge.

This is an educated guess at best. Only Jack knows why he did what he did. As for us fans, the high-stakes main event is official, and we are just a night of sleep away from the action. Before we wrap it up, let’s take one last look at the main card action in store for us in Perth.

Here are the other fighters who made weight at UFC Perth:

• Lightweight: Beneil Dariush (156) vs. Quillan Salkilld (156)
• Flyweight: Tim Elliott (126) vs. Steve Erceg (125.5)
• Featherweight: Marwan Rahiki (146) vs. Ollie Schmid (145.5)
• Heavyweight: Shamil Gaziev (264) vs. Brando Pericic (265) 
• Heavyweight: Tai Tuivasa (265) vs. Louie Sutherland (261)

That said, what do you think about the UFC Perth card overall?