Art of Jiu-Jitsu stand-out Tainan Dalpra couldn’t have asked for a better year of competition in 2021. Named Grappling Insider’s best male gi grappler of the year, Dalpra won nearly every competition he entered. One of Dalpra’s biggest (and most lucrative) accomplishments was winning the IBJJF four-man middleweight grand prix.
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Elite black belt competitor Andrew Wiltse is never shy to share his opinion. The Pedigo Submission Fighting (AKA Daisy Fresh) stand-out has spoken openly about everything from his mental health, to sexual assault at Fight Sports, to steroid use at Atos. In a recent video, Wiltse sounded off on a
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It’s no secret that BJJ is a relatively niche sport and it’s difficult to make enough money in it, but what about those at the very highest levels of the game who medal at world championships? Arguably, the IBJJF and ADCC World Championships are seen as the two most prestigious
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As 2021 winds down, Grappling Insider will be recognizing those athletes that made the biggest impact, had the best performances, and found the most success this year. The women’s no-gi scene in 2021 saw veterans surpassed by newcomers as a handful of high-level grapplers pulled ahead of the competition. When
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As 2021 winds down, Grappling Insider will be recognizing those athletes that made the biggest impact, had the best performances, and found the most success this year. In women’s jiu-jitsu, 2021 was a year that saw the passing of the torch from accomplished, veteran competitors to the new generation of
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As 2021 winds down, Grappling Insider will be recognizing those athletes that made the biggest impact, had the best performances, and found the most success this year. 2021 saw plenty of rookie black belts making their mark at the highest levels of the sport. In gi jiu-jitsu, one rookie black
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At the 2021 IBJJF Worlds, top black belt competitor Nicholas Meregali was disqualified from the competition after making an obscene gesture during his ultra-heavy semifinal match against Victor Hugo. Meregali was initially awarded the victory, but was subsequently disqualified and forced out of scheduled finals matches in both the absolute
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Mikey Musumeci is the most accomplished American competitor in the gi, ever. After a year in which he competed exclusively in no-gi competition, Musumeci put the gi back on to compete at the 2021 IBJJF Worlds, capturing his fifth IBJJF black belt world title and his fourth in the gi.
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Felipe Pena has taken off the gi for good. At the 2021 IBJJF Worlds, Pena captured absolute gold then announced his retirement from gi competition. After a disappointing loss to Erich Munis in the super-heavyweight division, Pena looked impressive in the absolute division, winning three matches against accomplished competitors. In
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Going into the 2021 IBJJF Worlds, many predicted returning 2019 world champion Nicholas Meregali to take home double gold. Meregali seemed poised to do exactly that, winning his way to the finals of both the absolute and ultra-heavyweight divisions. But in his ultra-heavyweight semifinal match against Victor Hugo, Meregali was
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