Nick Calvanese of BJJ United won the qualifying tournament today that puts him into the KASAI Pro 8-Man middleweight bracket. 

The middleweight qualifier was an open event held at the Renzo Gracie Academy in Brooklyn, New York. It offered one deserving grappler the chance to compete in the upcoming KASAI Pro event on April 14. 

The middleweight tournament – which features the likes of Matheus Diniz, DJ Jackson, Craig Jones, Richie Martinez and Dante Leon – held one spot open for the winner of the qualifier. 

Calvanese, who hails from Pennsylvania, is a jiu-jitsu black belt under Jared Weiner and represents BJJ United. A life-long wrestler, Calvanese had a solid brown belt career taking silver medals at the No-Gi Worlds and No-Gi Pans in 2015. 

Since getting his black belt, Calvanese became a 2017 IBJJF New York Spring Open champion and took silver at the 2017 Marianas Open. He is also a Fight To Win Pro veteran, having had two matches on the professional submission-only event. 

WATCH: Nick Calvanese vs Jordan Lutsky Fight to Win Pro 40