Forca Method is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Nicholas Meregali. They are featured here for educational and editorial purposes. Information is compiled from public sources including FloGrappling, BJJ Fanatics, Tapology, and official competition records.
Who They Are
Nicholas Meregali is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and a name every serious grappler should know by now. Born in 1994, he came up under Mario Reis and later joined the gauntlet at Alliance, then transitioned to New Wave Jiu Jitsu under John Danaher in the US. He’s made his mark in both gi and no-gi competition, racking up IBJJF World titles and crashing into the ADCC scene with immediate impact. Unlike some other high-profile athletes, Meregali splits his focus between both gi and no-gi, and makes waves in each.
Why They Matter
Meregali matters because he’s not just a sport jiu jitsu player racking up points in safe fashion. His style is direct, aggressive, and unafraid to chase the finish against anyone. In the gi, he’s toppled legends, ending matches with chokes from the back, and has a history of beating other dominant champions. When he moved to the no-gi circuit, he didn't just show up—he started submitting top contenders at ADCC and WNO events, and his game translated faster and more effectively than what we usually see from lifelong gi specialists.
Meregali has also helped force a conversation about what “modern Brazilian jiu jitsu” looks like across both clothing formats. Guys who train for hard rounds—or who are prepping for tournaments—know that the pro scene can feel detached from daily training reality. But Meregali fights in a way that matters for anyone who’s ever gone back-to-back at open mat or had to survive when their grips are failing. His competition intensity, willingness to chase after dominant positions, and openness to new methods marks him as someone bigger than just another champion.
Style And Strengths
Meregali’s style is built around relentless pressure and positional dominance. In the gi, his closed guard and collar-sleeve work are notorious—ask anyone who’s ever spent half a round in his closed guard, halfway between trying to breathe and trying not to get their posture broken. He’ll attack with relentless grip sequences, and if you don’t address the threats, your posture is gone and your arm is next. His passing is another standout—he uses stacks, body locks, and a constant threat of cross-face to grind opponents flat. Nobody gets comfortable.
There’s no fluff in his approach to grips. You get the classic grip-fight battle, then sudden back takes or step-over armbars. His lapel work is creative but not overcomplicated—he's one of the few at the top still choking people unconscious with basic collar chokes at the world level instead of just berimbolos and advantages.
Transitioning to no-gi, Meregali’s game starts with wrestling up, tight body locks, and a heavy pressure-tap style from top. His frame’s built for it—long, strong lats and back, big hands, solid lever control. You see him winning scrambles where most pure gi players get flattened.
His back attacks in no-gi stand out. He doesn’t just “control and threaten”—he commits to the finish. He’ll fight for the choking arm, switch to short strangles, set up body triangles, and squeeze relentlessly. Even elite no-gi specialists have folded to that pressure at ADCC. He’s also adapted quickly to leg entanglements—not by hunting them as a first option, but by neutralizing and using the threat to enter passing sequences.
Mentally, he’s unshakeable. Meregali fights with the same intent whether ahead or behind. He doesn’t stall to win on points; he hunts for the tap. If you watch his tournament pace, it’s a lesson in controlled fury — never burning out, never fading late.
What Grapplers Can Learn
If you want to make your Brazilian jiu jitsu more effective at every level, there are some very blunt lessons from Meregali:
- Don’t Ignore the Basics: You see it in his collar chokes, his passing, his positional control—he uses fundamental moves at the highest level and wins with them. You don’t need a highlight-reel move set; the classics work if your timing and pressure are dialed in.
- Grip Fighting Isn’t Optional: Meregali treats every grip exchange like it could decide the match. If you roll lazy or let your fingers get pried open, you’ll lose the sequence. Your hands should burn after a round if you’re doing this right.
- Closed Guard Done Right: He shows that high-level closed guard isn’t dead. If your closed guard is getting passed or you’re stalling out, you’re missing the nuances of breaking posture, chaining attacks, and feeding lapels.
- conditioning for Real Rounds: Meregali fights multiple matches at the highest pace—tournament days, open mats, finals, overtime. There’s no magic fix for this; his style is proof you need real mat time, positional rounds, and the ability to recover between matches, not gimmick fitness.
- Transitions Over Tricks: He commits to transitions, not just submissions. The way he flows from guard to back to choke, or passes to mount to submission, it’s seamless. That’s hours of drilling, not “moves.” If you can chain positions, you set up real finishes.
- Switching Formats: Meregali didn’t need years to go from gi to no-gi. His principles—control, pressure, relentless back takes—carried over with some technical tweaks. If you’re trapped in a single style rut, focus on control and transitions, and the rest transfers over.
Final Takeaway
Nicholas Meregali isn’t just another Brazilian jiu jitsu world champion. He’s a reminder that focused, aggressive basics and hard-nosed pressure-jitsu still run the show—gi or no-gi. Watch his matches: you’ll see classic techniques ripping through modern guards, and a style you can actually build into your own training. Make your grips matter. Hunt for dominant positions. Keep your pace tournament-ready. And don’t buy into the idea that you need the flashiest new trick to win at any level that counts. Meregali proves it every time he steps on the mat.
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