Andre Petroski vs. Gerald Meerschaert Odds
The UFC 292 early preliminary card concludes with an intriguing middleweight bout between Andre Petroski and Gerald Meerschaert.
In a clash between two finish-first fighters, The Ultimate Fighter alum Petroski is a big favorite over Meerschaert, whose uneven UFC career has been highlighted by a string of highlight-reel finishes, both win and lose.
Here's our Petroski vs. Meerschaert betting breakdown for UFC 292.
Tale of the Tape
| Petroski | Meerschaert | |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 9-2 | 35-16 |
| Avg. Fight Time | 11:04 | 7:52 |
| Height | 6'0" | 6'1" |
| Weight | 186 pounds | 185 pounds |
| Reach | 73 inches | 77 inches |
| Stance | Switch | Southpaw |
| Date of birth | 6/12/1991 | 12/18/1987 |
| Sig Strikes Per Minute | 3.64 | 3.11 |
| SS Accuracy | 55% | 43% |
| SS Absorbed Per Minute | 2.28 | 3.47 |
| SS Defense | 52% | 52% |
| Take Down Avg | 5.43 | 2.12 |
| TD Acc | 57% | 37% |
| TD Def | 75% | 29% |
| Submission Avg | 3.4 | 1.7 |
Meerschaert is very comfortable fighting off his back. He has the most submissions (nine) in UFC middleweight history despite poor takedown defense (29% career).
Andre Petroski wrestles at a high volume (9.4 takedown attempts per 15 minutes, 57% accuracy). He can likely keep Meerschaert flat on his back for most of this fight, stay safe on top, and win a one-sided decision.
Additionally, Petroski likely has the faster and more powerful hands – to negate a four-inch reach discrepancy – and is the more durable man at this stage of their respective careers.
If he prefers to strike, Petroski should be able to defend any of Meerschaert's takedown attempts and keep this fight standing.
I expect Petroski to dominate this bout's opening round and have opportunities to close the show.
However, referees tend to give Meerschaert a little more leeway when he's in trouble – because he has a history of coming back against opponents – and there are several ways in which Petroski can gas himself out and allow Meerschaert to turn the tables in the latter part of the fight.
Petroski vs. Meerschaert Pick
While I do project value on Meerschaert from a pre-fight perspective (projected +173, listed +200 at Caesars), I'm not interested in betting on him until after Round 1, when you should get a far superior number.
Additionally, Meerschaert by submission (projected +290, listed +390 at FanDuel) is a solid option for round robins.
The Pick: Gerald Meerschaert Live after Round 1
