One of jiu-jitsu's best current rivalries takes the WNO stage as Kaynan Duarte faces Nicholas Meregali in the third WNO event of 2023.  

The pair are two of the best heavyweight grapplers in the world, but have not gone head-to-head since December 2021 at the IBJJF World Championships. They have never met in no-gi competition.

But the rivalry has taken a turn over the past year after Meregali said no one in the -99kg division could match him, including Duarte. 

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Tezos WNO 19: Meregali vs Duarte Betting Lines: See Who's Favored

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Duarte definitely has the resume to counter that argument. He won the 2019 ADCC 99+kg division and won the -99kg division in 2022 while Meregali finished third. 

That led to Duarte challenging Meregali, and that challenge will finally be met on Aug. 10 at Tezos WNO: Meregali vs. Duarte. 

The co-main event features Jasmine Rocha and Ffion Davies, who will fight for the flyweight championship. The whole card includes a loaded lineup that features Felipe Pena, who headlined the first WNO event of the year. 

The second WNO event was headlined by Meregali, who beat Pedro Marinho via submission. 

But Duarte could pose a tougher challenge. Here's what to know about Kaynan Duarte

Tickets are on sale now to watch Tezos WNO 19: Meregali vs Duarte presented live by Fat Tire!

Kaynan Duarte Is 2-2 Against Nicholas Meregali 

The two rivals are no strangers. Here's how they've fared against one another: 

• Dec. 8, 2021: Meregali defeats Kaynan at 2021 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, Absolute Division
• Nov. 23, 2019: Duarte defeats Meregali at 2019 Spyder Invitational BJJ Championship Final, 100kg
• Oct. 7, 2018: Duarte defeats Meregali at World Series of Grappling 2, 180+lbs
• March. 12, 2014: Meregali defeats Kaynan at 2014 IBJJF Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship, Absolute Division

Kaynan Duarte Was 2022 Heavyweight IBJJF World Champion

Duarte won the 2022 IBJJF World Championship in the heavyweight division in 2022. In 2023, he was attempting to win the Absolute division, which Meregali won in 2022, but lost to Victor Hugo. 

Where Is Kaynan Duarte Ranked In BJJ?

Duarte finished 2022 ranked no.9 in the gi pound-for-pound rankings. He was the no.1 Black Belt heavyweight.

Meregali was the no.1 ranked super heavyweight and the no.2-ranked pound-for-pound grappler. 

Kaynan Duarte No Stranger To WNO

Duarte is 3-1 in WNO competition. He also has headline an event before. In 2020, he headlined WNO: Kaynan Duarte vs. Rodolfo Vieira. He defeated Vieira via rear naked choke.

His only loss at a WNO event was to Tim Spriggs at 2021 FloGrappling WNO Championship. 

WNO: Meregali vs. Duarte Full Card

• Main Event: Nicholas Meregali vs Kaynan Duarte | Heavyweight bout
• Co-Main Event: Ffion Davies (c) vs Jasmine Rocha | Flyweight title bout

Main Card:

• Dante Leon vs Ethan Crelinsten | Lightweight title bout
• Felipe Pena vs Haisam Rida | Heavyweight bout
• Nicky Ryan vs Rene Sousa | Welterweight bout
• Andrew Tackett vs Troy Russell | Welterweight Bout

Undercard:

• Sebastian Rodriguez vs  Oliver Taza | Middleweight bout
• Ben Eddy vs Carlos Henrique | Featherweight bout
• Helena Crevar vs Healy Dayan | Featherweight bout
• Achilles Rocha vs JB Bechtloff | Middleweight bout

How To Watch WNO: Nicholas Meregali vs. Kanyan Durate On FloGrappling

The next Tezos WNO event is Aug. 10 in Austin, Texas at the Palmer Events Center. 

The co-main event of Nicholas Meregali vs. Kanan Durate is a no-gi match. The card also includes Felipe Pena, Nicky Ryan and more. Tezos WNO: Meregali vs. Duarte will stream on FloGrappling and the FloSports app. 

Replays of the matches will be available on both platforms.