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WNO: Meregali vs. Duarte full card line-up and preview

Ben Coate

Check out the full card line-up and preview for WNO: Nicholas Meregali vs. Kaynan Duarte, set for Thursday, August 10.

FloGrappling’s Who’s Number One (WNO) will return to action this Thursday, August 10, with one of the most talent-rich cards in the promotion’s history.

Set to go down live from Austin, TX, the evening’s main event will see two-time ADCC world champion Kaynan Duarte take on multiple-time gi world champion Nicholas Meregali in what might be Meregali’s stiffest no-gi test to date.

And in the co-main event, reigning ADCC world champion and WNO flyweight champion Ffion Davies will put her belt on the line against Jasmine Rocha.

WNO: Meregali vs. Daurte full card line-up

Undercard

  • Sebastian Rodriguez vs. Hunter Colvin (middleweight) — Hunter Colvin was forced to withdraw due to injury and has been replaced by Oliver Taza.
  • Ben Eddy vs. Carlos Henrique (featherweight)
  • Helena Crevar vs. Healy Dayan (featherweight)
  • Achilles Rocha vs. JB Bechtloff (middleweight)

Nicholas Meregali vs. Kaynan Duarte

The main event presents an intriguing matchup, as New Wave’s Nicholas Meregali will test his world-class guard game and submission-hunting skills against Kaynan Duarte and his well-rounded, physically imposing, and tactically minded approach.

Still less than two years into his no-gi training, Meregali has already established himself among one of the pound-for-pound best. He put on a strong showing at the 2022 ADCC World Championships, defeating the likes of Yuri Simoes, Tye Ruotolo, and his teammate Giancarlo Bodoni to claim third in the 99 kg. division and second in the absolute.

He comes into this contest following an overtime victory over Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu at the UFC Fight Pass Invitational 4.

Duarte, meanwhile, has been a fixture of the elite no-gi scene since 2019 when he won his first ADCC world title. He captured his second ADCC gold in 2022, dominating Craig Jones in the final of the 99 kg. division.

Importantly, the two grapplers have met four times in competition as black belts – although each time was in the gi. Duarte and Meregali shared the mats four times between 2018 and 2021, splitting their rivalry 2-2. Meregali, though, owns the only submission victory.

In this matchup, fans can expect to see Duarte attempting to pass, while Meregali works from his vaunted guard. And while Meregali has yet to secure a leg lock finish in his no-gi career, his training under John Danaher may lead him to attacking the legs – a perennial weak spot for Duarte.

Ffion Davies vs. Jasmine Rocha

Essential Jiu-Jitsu’s Ffion Davies enjoyed a banner year in 2022, winning gold at both the IBJJF Worlds and ADCC World Championships to earn the status as the planet’s top pound-for-pound female competitor.

She has since suffered a trio of defeats against truly elite competition, but she remains one of the sport’s most dangerous grapplers. With her relentlessly high pacing and superb guard passing, she is an incredible top player who generally wears down her opponents before snatching an armbar or taking the back.

While she might be the favorite, Davies will be in for a stiff test against Jasmine Rocha. Not unlike her father, Vagner Rocha, Jasmine plays a physically imposing game and possesses a knack for finding opportunistic and unique submissions. In her most recent WNO appearance, Rocha scored a smother submission against Amanda Bruse.

Fans can look forward to an all-action match when Davies and Rocha share the mat, as each woman has shown little fear to engage and take risks in pursuit of the finish.

The rest of the card

The WNO flyweight title won’t be the only belt up for grabs. Before the co-main event, The B-Team’s Ethan Crelinsten will square off with IBJJF no-gi world champion and ADCC bronze medalist Dante Leon.

Crelisten impressed in his last WNO performance, submitting Fabricio Andrey with a rear-naked choke. His top-tier back-taking skills will be matched against Leon’s physically imposing, well-rounded game. The Pedigo Submission Fighting representative excels in all areas, including his world-class reverse De La Riva guard, dangerous guillotine, and explosive wrestle-ups. Leon looked phenomenal in his lightweight WNO debut earlier this year when he submitted ADCC veteran Ruan Alvarenga.

Also, former ADCC absolute champion Felipe Pena will square off with The B-Team’s Haisam Rida in an interesting style clash; Nicky Ryan will make his much-anticipated return to competition to take on fearless submission hunter Rene Sousa, and young phenom Andrew Tackett will face Lovato BJJ product Troy Russell.

How to watch: WNO: Meregali vs. Duarte takes place on Thursday, August 10 and will air live on FloGrappling beginning at 8:00 PM ET. The undercard will air on FloGrappling’s YouTube channel for free, and the main card will air exclusively on FloGrappling (subscription required).

Ben Coate

Ben has been involved with grappling, whether through wrestling or Brazilian jiu-jitsu, essentially his entire life. After wrestling throughout his childhood, Ben found Brazilian jiu-jitsu as a young adult and quickly fell in love. He has been training for over ten years and currently holds the rank of brown belt, and remains involved in both the MMA and BJJ scene. Ben has been writing about combat sports since 2017. He has interviewed and profiled some of MMA's biggest stars, including multiple UFC champions.

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