'Not like I haven't done nothing!'… UFC record holder reacts to being labelled Belal Muhammad's training partner
03/11/2025 10:11 AM
A 55-fight veteran spoke out after his status and surname was significantly reduced in promo footage.
Belal Muhammad is preparing to defend his welterweight title against Jack Della Maddalena in the main event of UFC 315 on May 10.
Whilst Muhammad often gets criticized by fans for some of the bold statements that he makes in interviews and on social media, the 170-pound champion appears to be a great presence in the gym.
Fight fans saw the relationship that he has with his teammates this past weekend at UFC 313 where Muhammad shared a touching moment with Ignacio Bahamondes.
One of his training partners and coaches recently featured in a video with ‘Remember The Name’ where his title and significance was cut short which caught his eye on social media.
Gerald Meerschaert responds to promo footage listing him as Belal Muhammad’s sparring partner
With the most finishes in UFC middleweight history, Gerald Meerschaert has been a staple of the roster since signing to the promotion in 2016.
‘GM3’ suffered a submission loss last time out but he’s back to get himself into the win column on April 5 where he takes on fellow veteran Brad Tavares.
Meerschaert recently commented on a video that was put out of him training with Belal Muhammad, addressing the way that he was labelled.
In an interview with Inside Fighting, the 37-year-old made reference to some promo footage, which can be seen below via Moose Rash Guards, stating that he wasn’t sure whether it was for the UFC or not.
During a conversation between them, Meerschaert’s name tag appears and lists him as “Gerald Merch – Sparring Partner”.
“I’m not super famous or anything but it’s not like it’s hard to find out who I am and they put the first half of my last name and they even misspelled that. So they’re missing like half of my last name and then they put it as like Gerald Merch and they had me as his sparring partner.”
Meerschaert went on to explain in the same interview that his reaction to the video went much deeper than his name being spelt entirely wrong.
As a 22-fight veteran and grappling coach at the gym, he believes that he deserves a bit more credit than simply being credited as a sparring partner.
“Yeah, technically we are training partners but A, I’m also a grappling coach at Valle since I’ve been there and I’m more than, not that I’m the only one there but like I literally run a class and I help teach him. I’m not just his training partner and B, I’m also competing in the UFC! It’s not like I haven’t done nothing! So I was kind of like alright, I guess I’m just Belal Muhammad’s sparring partner now.”
Next month is another big one for Belal Muhammad’s team at VFS
Fresh off of Ignacio Bahamondes’ impressive win at UFC 313 which earned him a spot in the rankings, the team at VFS Academy will look to keep this momentum going.
Before Belal Muhammad headlines UFC 315 in Montreal, another one of his teammates has a huge fight coming up in Miami.
Former title challenger Yair Rodriguez will welcome Patricio Pitbull to the UFC next month in a huge clash at 145-pounds.
Some tension between Rodriguez and Pitbull has made this fight a must-watch even with its controversial placement as the featured prelim for UFC 314.
