Julius Walker Faces Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Vegas 122

Julius Walker enters UFC Vegas 122 as the favorite against Gerald Meerschaert, with betting odds pointing to an advantage for the American. The matchup pits a 27-year-old looking to rebound against a 38-year-old veteran experiencing the worst losing streak of his career.

Odds and Walker's Status as Favorite

On DraftKings, Walker is listed at -305, while Meerschaert stands at +245; BetMGM shows similar numbers, with -300 for Walker and +240 for his opponent. The 1.5-round over/under line pays -105 for bets that the fight goes over the set time and -125 for bets that it ends under.

Physical and Stylistic Differences

Walker stands 6'4" (1.93 m) tall with a 78-inch reach and a 43-inch leg reach; Meerschaert is 6'1" (1.85 m) with a 77.5-inch reach and a 40-inch leg reach. The younger fighter holds an 86% finish rate and a 7-3 record, while the veteran boasts a 95% finish rate and a 37-22 record.

Walker's Recent Record

Before joining the UFC, Walker was a champion in Synergy FC and Peak Fighting, but has secured only one victory in four appearances in the premier organization, dropping fights to Alonzo Menifield, Dustin Jacoby, and Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev. His last two losses came via knockout, the most recent in just eight seconds.

Meerschaert's Losing Streak

Meerschaert, who has been with the UFC since 2016, holds a 12-14 record in the promotion and is currently suffering through five consecutive losses—the longest slump of his career. Among those setbacks are defeats to Reinier de Ridder, Brad Tavares, Michal Oleksiejczuk, Kyle Daukaus, and Jacob Malkoun.

Projected Strategies

Analysts project that Walker will aim to keep the fight standing, utilizing his jab and movement to control distance and avoid Meerschaert's grappling. For the veteran, the best approach is to close the distance, force the clinch, and seek submissions off scrambles or incomplete transitions.

Impact of the Team Switch

Walker switched teams and began training at Xtreme Couture shortly before his last outing. In an interview with BVM Sports, the athlete stated that the new camp resulted in technical growth, despite the negative outcome in the Octagon.

With information from SpaceMoney.