Nicholas Meregali has made no secret of his lukewarm feelings toward ADCC 2026 and his reasons are about as blunt as expected.
Appearing on MMA Hoje alongside his manager Viktor Doria, Meregali did not sugarcoat his thoughts on making the trip to Poland for the next edition of the world’s most prestigious submission wrestling tournament.
“Dude, honestly, I think it’s a hassle to go to Poland, man, it’s the end of the world. Not even a capital city, a city in the countryside. I don’t know, a 3-hour drive. I don’t have the desire. None at all. You have to convince me to compete because I don’t want to.”
He continued:
“It doesn’t make a difference, man, to be honest… I have no inclination whatsoever. Maybe I’ll compete, maybe I’ll keep winning, and then suddenly I’ll get excited (about ADCC). But possibly not. At least not nowadays, if I had to sign the contract tomorrow…”
The comments carry added weight given the broader context surrounding Meregali’s future in competitive grappling. He recently signed with UFC BJJ, an organization that has been openly reluctant to send its athletes to ADCC events beyond this current cycle. With institutional friction already present, Meregali’s personal indifference toward the venue adds another layer of uncertainty.
ADCC spent two consecutive editions in Las Vegas and the difference was clear. The energy inside a Las Vegas arena, the crowd, the production and the sense of occasion elevated the event into something that felt genuinely mainstream. Before that, events held in places like Finland and China often had the ambiance of a regional open mat, sparse crowds, gymnasium lighting and a setting that felt unworthy of the talent on the mats.
Poland continues that regression. It is, as Meregali noted, not even in Warsaw. For athletes being asked to travel across the world, disrupt training camps and risk injury, location matters. The prestige of the ADCC name can only carry so much weight when the venue itself signals a step backward.
It would be impossible to discuss Nicholas Meregali and ADCC without acknowledging what happened in 2024. He arrived at that event with maximum confidence, having essentially declared himself the champion before a match had even taken place. When a serious injury cut his campaign short, a large portion of the grappling community was not particularly sympathetic. The reaction was loud and sustained.
Meregali’s attention appears to be shifting elsewhere. He is in the process of opening his own gym in Austin, Texas, a move that signals long term planning rather than chasing another tournament title. Combined with his UFC BJJ deal and the structural disincentives tied to ADCC participation, the picture that emerges is of an athlete whose competitive priorities are being quietly reshaped.
He left a small opening:
“Maybe I’ll keep winning and then suddenly I’ll get excited.”
But the overall tone of the interview suggests someone who needs convincing. Right now, a mid sized Polish city three hours from the nearest airport is not providing that incentive.
For ADCC, the challenge is straightforward. If the goal is to bring in the best competitors in the world and make them care, the promotion has to offer a compelling reason.
