NICHOLAS MEREGALI

Nicholas Meregali is one of the most dominant heavyweight competitors of the late 2010s and 2020s IBJJF era. Born in 1994 in Brazil and trained through multiple Brazilian academies before joining the New Wave Jiu-Jitsu team in his later competitive career, Meregali accumulated multiple IBJJF World Championships at black belt and consistent podium appearances at major events.

Meregali's competitive style emphasizes a sophisticated closed-guard system combined with heavyweight pressure passing. His ability to compete and finish at the heavyweight division through patient technical execution has distinguished him from purely physical heavyweights. His matches against the broader heavyweight roster (Marcus Buchecha, Felipe Pena, various other competitors) have produced consistent podium results across multiple competitive cycles.

Meregali's transition to the New Wave team substantially expanded his competitive trajectory. The pairing of his existing IBJJF technical foundation with John Danaher's systematic pedagogical approach has produced one of the most-watched competitive transitions in modern BJJ. As of 2026 Meregali continues to compete at the elite level and remains one of the consequential heavyweight figures of the modern era.