Meregali Set To Try For First IBJJF Pans Title
A three-time IBJJF world champion and four-time Brasileiros champion has registered for the 2023 IBJJF Pan Championships, trying to add to his collection of major titles.
Nicholas Meregali joins a litany of decorated black belts headed to Kissimmee, FL in search of Pans gold later this month.
Last week, Meregali officially registered to compete in the ultra heavyweight division at the 2023 IBJJF Pan Championship, marking his first entry at an IBJJF tournament since he earned his IBJJF open class world title in June 2022.
“Although lately I’ve been focused on No-Gi, the Gi will always have a place in my heart as the style I first made my name and personality,” Meregali told FloGrappling. “ My Gi game has actually been progressing greatly under the teaching of John Danaher, who is not only an excellent professor in No Gi but in the Gi as well. I’m coming to Pans to display what I believe jiu-jitsu to be.”
Meregali has only competed at Pans as a black belt once before. In 2017 — his rookie year at the rank — he submitted two opponents in the absolute division before falling to Leandro Lo in the semis. He lost to lo again in the heavyweight category. He came back to defeat Lo at Worlds to secure his first-ever world title.
Meregali has been on a rollercoaster ride of a black belt career since.
He won Brasileiros in 2018 but lost in the semis at Worlds. He took double gold at Brasileiros and won his weight category at Worlds in 2019 for his second title. Then, in 2021, he was disqualified from finals contention at Worlds for unsportsmanlike conduct, removing him from podium contention.
He earned redemption in 2022, taking gold at Euros, and winning his first absolute title at Worlds. In the final, he defeated then-Dream Art teammate Erich Munis, to whom he lost in the weight category.
Also in 2022, Meregali launched his foray into no-gi competition. The experiment proved successful. After years of never competing in no-gi, Meregali went 3-0 on Tezos WNO, and came away from ADCC 2022 with a bronze medal at 99 kg and a silver in the absolute. Under the guidance of John Danaher, Meregali seems to have unlocked a new level in his prolific abilities.
Throughout his career, Meregali has proven to be a submission hunter. He’s finished 71-percent of his career bouts via submission, and has not suffered a submission defeat as a black belt.
It’s likely that he will enter the absolute division, where he could face Erich Munis, Pedro Marinho, Roberto Jimenez, Fellipe Andrew, Francisco Lo, Elder Cruz and others.