Craig Jones recently discussed Nicholas Meregali‘s shoulder injury at ADCC and what it means for the sport overall during an apperance on Morning Kombat.
Jones admitted he initially found it satisfying to watch Meregali fail, especially given the Brazilian grappler’s social media attitude before the tournament.
“I did enjoy it not just from a personal level but because of what he’d been posting you know what I mean like it is fun to see someone talk so much and then fall short,”
Jones said.
The injury happened during Meregali’s quarterfinal match against Michael Pixley. A takedown turned into a serious accident.
“He uchi mataed me and I landed with my elbow on the ground, and then just looked at it on my shoulder. And then my shoulder was out.”
Meregali said, describing how his bone “kind of broke in place.” He tried to signal for the match to stop, but it continued until Pixley secured the finish.
Jones’ tone shifted when reflecting on the injury’s long-term consequences. What seemed like poetic justice for Meregali’s bold talk became a much more serious issue.
“I think he’s had three surgeries on that shoulder,”
Jones said, calling it
“catastrophic” and “really catastrophic.”
The situation became more concerning as more details came out. The ADCC injury led to surgery in August, followed by another operation by February. Doctors expected a recovery period of four to six months after the second procedure.
Jones added perspective:
“Although in the heat of the moment that was funny, in the big picture type of thing it’s like it is a huge loss of the sport to not have him.”
The aftermath wasn’t just physical for Meregali. After criticism about his pre-ADCC post claiming he would win, he disabled comments on social media. He admitted feeling
“a little lost”
and unsure how to deal with what happened.
“I never expected to go on this. That’s why it was so weird and still being weird,”
he confessed.
Despite the setback, Meregali spoke positively about returning to gi competition.
“Kimono is my passion and No Gi is merely a momentary professional choice because the sport is growing a lot in Brazil. I do intend to return to fighting in kimono and I hope that soon.”
The injury has forced him to reconsider his plans. He had originally intended to take time off after winning ADCC, but that never happened.
“I don’t know what to do,”
Meregali said, unsure of what comes next.
Since then, Meregali has delivered an update revealing he’s actually undergone 4 surgeries:
Jones’ remarks show the balance fans and athletes often feel – enjoying the drama of competition while knowing these matches can change careers. Meregali’s injury reminded the community that behind every rivalry and meme is a real person facing the risks of elite-level grappling.
