Nicholas Meregali brought gi competition back to Tezos WNO with flair, submitting Pedro Marinho via mounted triangle in the main event of Tezos WNO 18 in Oklahoma City on Thursday, May 18.

A décima oitava edição do Who’s Number One colocou o kimono como atração principal no duelo entre Nicholas Meregali e Pedro Marinho em Oklahoma, nos Estados Unidos. Nicholas mostrou, mais uma vez, que sua defesa é tão boa quanto os seus ataques, ao ter paciência para defender um ataque de costas quase completo, aplicado por Pedro Marinho.

Tezo WNO 18: Meregali vs Marinho  ended with a flurry as matches picked up momentum with Rafael Lovato Jr.'s incredible submission win against Elder Cruz.

For the first time in more than two years, kimono competition will return to the Tezos WNO mats in the main event at Tezos WNO 18: Meregali vs Marinho presented by Fat Tire.

Nicholas Meregali returned to the gi competition scene in style, winning double gold at the 2023 Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championships in dominating fashion. Meregali had stepped away from the gi to focus on no-gi, joining Professor John Danaher, Gordon Ryan, and the rest of the burgeoning New Wave team in Austin, TX and in short order won a bronze and silver medal at the 2022 ADCC World Championships. The urge to express his dominance in the gi returned though, and now Meregali has the benefit of being coached by Danaher, whom many consider among the great grappling minds on Earth.

If there’s an easy way to win over grappling fans, it is by scoring exciting submission wins against tough opponents. And Jacob Couch has earned his reputation as a devastating finisher with an arsenal of offense to use. Couch will take part in an interesting match this Thursday at Tezos WNO 18 against ADCC veteran and Who’s Next champion Izaak Michell, so let’s look back at the Hillbilly Hammer's submission victories in previous WNO appearances and break down how he got them.

Nicholas Meregali vai fazer a luta principal do WNO 18 nesta quinta-feira, dia 18 de maio, em Oklahoma, nos Estados Unidos, com a intenção de provar que as lutas de kimono ainda são interessantes e tem bastante prestígio entre os espectadores. O alemão vai medir forças contra Pedro Marinho, atleta de elite da Gracie Barra. Representante da New Wave, mesmo time de Gordon Ryan e Giancarlo Bodoni, Nicholas tem uma carreira longa na faixa-preta com 90 lutas, com 75 vitórias, sendo 54 por finalização. Ele acumula ainda três títulos mundiais na faixa-preta, quatro títulos brasileiros, e dois títulos pan-americanos. Com a permissão das chaves de calcanhar, Nicholas tem mais uma arma para colocar em seu arsenal. Mas a tarefa não será fácil, afinal, ele vai duelar contra um oponente com estilo agressivo e finalizador.

Nicholas Meregali, one of the top Brazalian jiu-jitsu heavyweights in the world, will face Tezos WNO no-gi light heavyweight champion Pedro Marinho in the main event at WNO 18: Meregali vs. Marinho on May 18 at the Criterion in Oklahoma City.

The Tezos WNO 18: Meregali vs Marinho card is approaching fast this Thursday evening in Oklahoma City and betting lines have been released for the card through BetOnline.ag. Let’s take a look at those, what they mean for the matches, and detail a few lines to keep an eye on.

Alex Enriquez, already one of the brightest stars in women’s no gi jiu-jitsu, is looking to establish her footing and put her stamp on the 125-lb division in her Tezos WNO debut–but to do it, she’ll have to overcome a longtime opponent and Tezos WNO veteran in Tubby Alequin.