Polaris 26 is scheduled for 4th November, 2023 at Southampton Central Hall and one of our champions will be making his return to the mats.
Craig Jones is the reigning Polaris light-heavyweight champion and was previously the middleweight champion before he vacated the title to move up in weight permanently. Jones is often referred to as the second-best grappler in the world and he’s definitely earned that title over the years. He reached the podium at ADCC 2019 and ADCC 2022, earning silver medals in the under 88kg and under 99kg divisions respectively.
His opponent is a UFC veteran who is known for his fantastic grappling ability. Gerald Meerschaert has had over 50 professional MMA fights and has been signed to the UFC since 2016, fighting the best middleweights on the planet since then. Meerschaert has a 35-17 MMA record with an astonishing 27 submission wins to his name, and he currently holds the record for most submission wins in the UFC middleweight division. He will be a fresh opponent and a tough challenge for Jones as he makes his return to the United Kingdom and the Polaris mats.