Forca Method is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Nicky Rodriguez. 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
Nicky Rodriguez is one of the most physically dominant grapplers on the current submission grappling scene. Born in 1996, he started with wrestling in high school and made a hard transition into Brazilian jiu jitsu in 2018. A lot of guys get hyped up after a few years on the mat, but Rodriguez deserves the attention. He shot onto the global radar as a blue belt, blowing up the scene at ADCC 2019 by taking silver in the heavyweight division. He trains out of the New Wave Jiu Jitsu and B-Team camps, and—unlike some Instagram-famous athletes—he actually shows up against the best in the world.
If you spend time following high-level Brazilian jiu jitsu, you've already seen the “Black Belt Slayer” nickname floating around. It's not just hype. Rodriguez has taken out multiple decorated black belts at major tournaments, and he keeps evolving. He’s not the guy who plays games for decision wins—he tries to break people.
Why They Matter
Rodriguez matters for one big reason: he’s reset the bar for physicality and pressure in no-gi Brazilian jiu jitsu. For years, everyone talked about “technique over strength.” Then Nicky Rodriguez arrived and showed that you can use athleticism as a weapon if you know how to apply it. He’s forced elite competitors to rethink how they deal with wrestlers who don’t slow down and who know just enough jiu jitsu to stay out of traps.
He’s also made a point about development speed. There’s no ten-year black belt plan here—Rodriguez jumped into the deep end, rolled with the best, and adapted fast. In a sport still obsessed with stripes and lineage, his rise is proof that mat time and focused training matter more than the color of your belt.
Style And Strengths
If you’ve ever tried to wrestle a guy whose grip feels like a car door slamming shut, you’ll get what makes Rodriguez different. His base comes straight from real-deal wrestling, not hobbyist high school pushing. That translates to relentless top pressure, constant driving hips, and a level of scrambling most jiu jitsu athletes flat-out can’t keep up with. When he’s passing, it’s not a casual leg drag—it’s blast doubles, body locks, and shoulder pressure you feel in your teeth.
Rodriguez’s movement isn’t pretty-guard stuff. He covers distance fast, stays on top, and rides out back takes while hunting chokes. He’s known for his body lock passing, a system where he locks the hips and floats over, forcing half the division to play turtle just to survive. Once he’s on the back, his hand fighting and control shut down most escapes before they start. Physically, he’s a freak—explosive, huge for the weight class, but somehow always ready to go another hard round.
His weaknesses? Leg locks used to be an issue, but he’s patched those holes. You’ll still see the rare submission loss, but it’s nearly always from high-level specialists, and even then, you see him getting harder to finish every year.
What Grapplers Can Learn
The first lesson from Rodriguez is this: don’t buy into the myth that strength and athleticism have no place in Brazilian jiu jitsu. If you’re a younger grappler with a wrestling background, you should watch how Rodriguez blends wrestling entries with no-gi grips. It’s not just shooting doubles—it’s the ability to wrestle up off the mat, stay heavy in transitions, and create scrambles when people try to slow him down.
Pay special attention to his body lock passing. If you want a passing style that doesn’t depend on flexible knees or acrobatic guard retention, study how Rodriguez controls the hips and commits to pressure. When he passes, he doesn’t chill—he smothers, pins, and forces mistakes.
Rodriguez is also a lesson in attitude during hard rolls. He doesn’t pace himself in tournament matches. He puts out real effort from the start, and it’s obvious he’s used to hard rounds and back-to-back sessions in the gym. If you struggle with fading late in matches, look at his approach to conditioning. There’s strength work, but also tons of hard positional drilling, live wrestling, and rounds where you grind until you can barely grip a water bottle. There’s a reason his forearms never seem to blow up in overtime.
Finally, take note of how he learns from losses. Rodriguez doesn’t hide from his tap-outs or bad rounds—he fixes the hole and dares people to try it again.
Final Takeaway
Nicky Rodriguez isn’t the future “if” of Brazilian jiu jitsu—he’s the “now.” He’s shown that a relentless, athletic style can tear up traditional no-gi strategies if you adapt it with the right training and attitude. He’s proof that you can make massive jumps in skill fast if you’re willing to put yourself through uncomfortable rounds, accept hard feedback, and stay focused on finding new ways to win.
If you care about grappling that works against resistance—not just techniques that look good on a slow-motion highlight—watch Rodriguez and figure out what you can steal for your own game. Cut the excuses about belt rank or body type. Get to work.
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