{"id":72649,"date":"2025-08-15T22:37:11","date_gmt":"2025-08-15T22:37:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/72649\/"},"modified":"2025-08-15T22:37:11","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T22:37:11","slug":"oleksiejczuk-vs-meerschaert-pick-expect-early-finish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/72649\/","title":{"rendered":"Oleksiejczuk vs Meerschaert Pick: Expect Early Finish"},"content":{"rendered":"

UFC 319<\/a> is less than 24 hours away …<\/p>\n

It all goes down this weekend (Sat., Aug. 16, 2025) inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. In the UFC 319<\/a> main event, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis defends his title for the third time against the oncoming force<\/a> Khamzat Chimaev, in one of the biggest fights of 2025.<\/p>\n

We have a weekly series at MMAmania.com<\/a> called \u201cWeekend Lock<\/a>,\u201d where we share one bet that we predict will slap in \u201cChi-Town\u201d when the chaotic dust settles. We also want to hear what our readers think (that\u2019s you!), so please tell us your most confident UFC 319 betting lock<\/a> in the comments section below (full UFC Vegas 319 odds here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Last week\u2019s recap<\/a>: Our UFC Vegas 109 lock<\/a> cashed as Anthony Hernandez absolutely dogwalked<\/a> Roman Dolidze for four rounds until he eventually strangled him<\/a>, becoming the first fight to finish the Georgian fighter (watch highlights<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s keep on, keeping on below:<\/p>\n

\"LAS<\/a><\/p>\n

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 09: Gerald Meerschaert prepares to face Reinier de Ridder of The Netherlands in a middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on November 09, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger\/Zuffa LLC)<\/p>\n

The UFC 319 \u201cPrelims\u201d features a very fun Middleweight fight between Michal Oleksiejczuk and Gerald Meerschaert, and the fight should be absolute chaos for as long as it lasts \u2026 which is a teaser for my Weekend Lock.<\/p>\n

This week, I\u2019m locking in Oleksiejczuk\/Meerschaert \u2013 Fight to Not Go the Distance at -380<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Oleksiejczuk is an offensive buzzsaw with fight-ending power<\/a> in both hands. The Polish striker is a notoriously fast starter, with 15 of his 19 career wins coming via knockout<\/a> \u2014 most of them in the first round. He doesn\u2019t waste time feeling out his opponents; he pressures, throws in volume, and swings to end it.<\/p>\n

On the other side, Meerschaert has made a career out of being the Middleweight division\u2019s guillotine \u2014 if you leave your neck exposed, he\u2019ll snatch it. \u201cGM3\u201d owns the most submissions in UFC Middleweight history<\/a> (11), most finishes in UFC Middleweight division history (11), and thrives in messy grappling exchanges. When he wins, it\u2019s almost always inside the distance<\/a>, and when he loses, it\u2019s typically via KO\/TKO<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Both men share one thing: they rarely hear the final horn. Oleksiejczuk\u2019s aggressive style makes scorecards a myth, while Meerschaert\u2019s kill-or-be-killed approach almost guarantees a finish one way or the other. Whether it\u2019s Oleksiejczuk landing a clean left hand early or Meerschaert capitalizing on a scramble to lock up a choke, this fight is tailor-made for an early ending.<\/p>\n

Oleksiejczuk is favored to win (-238<\/a>) and knock \u201cGM3\u201d out (-115<\/a>), but honestly, Meerschaert\u2019s durability has somehow gotten better and is always there to grab a submission late; also, Oleksiejczuk has been tapped in two of his last three losses<\/p>\n

Just like last week, this bet is chalk, but it\u2019s the kind of chalk that\u2019s going to cash, and can be slotted into a parlay if that\u2019s what you want to do, because someone is getting stopped in this fight.<\/p>\n

While the track records are overwhelmingly in our favor, MMA is unpredictable. If Oleksiejczuk gets overly cautious after getting caught by Meerschaert or \u201cGM3\u201d decides to play it safer than usual, we could see more cage control and less chaos. Still, history suggests otherwise \u2014 these two just aren\u2019t wired for 15-minute affairs.<\/p>\n

For what it\u2019s worth, this X\/Twitter user is riding with Oleksiejczuk.<\/p>\n

Gerald Meerschaert To Win By KO\/TKO\/DQ: +100<\/a><\/p>\n

Gerald Meerschaert To Win By Submission: +400<\/a><\/p>\n

Gerald Meerschaert To Win By Decision: +650<\/a><\/p>\n

Michal Oleksiejczuk To Win By KO\/TKO\/DQ: –115<\/a><\/p>\n

Michal Oleksiejczuk To Win By Submission: +1000<\/a><\/p>\n

Michal Oleksiejczuk To Win By Decision: +500<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

0<\/p>\n

MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE CAR CRASH!<\/a> Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) continues its 2025 pay-per-view (PPV) schedule on Sat., Aug. 16, 2025, with a blockbuster title fight set to headline UFC 319 from inside United Center in Chicago, Illinois. In UFC 319\u2019s PPV main event, Middleweight champion, Dricus du Plessis, defends his title against undefeated No. 3<\/a>-ranked contender, Khamzat Chimaev, in a high-stakes, five-round battle of unbeaten UFC records. UFC 319\u2019s PPV co-main event features a Featherweight showdown between Lerone Murphy and promotional newcomer<\/a>, Aaron Pico, a high-profile free-agent signing stepping in on short notice. UFC 319 will also showcase a Welterweight clash between Geoff Neal vs. Carlos Prates<\/a>, a Middleweight bout pitting Jared Cannonier vs. Michael Page, a Flyweight matchup featuring Tim Elliott vs. Kai Asakura, and much more! UFC 319\u2019s start time is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET (\u201cEarly Prelims\u201d), 8 p.m. ET (\u201cPrelims\u201d undercard), and 10 p.m. ET (PPV main card)<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

Remember that MMAmania.com<\/a> will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 319 fight card<\/a>, starting with the ESPN\/ESPN+<\/a> \u201cPrelims\u201d matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, before the main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+<\/a>).<\/p>\n

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 319: \u201cdu Plessis vs. Khamzat\u201d news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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