Nicholas Meregali returns at UFC BJJ5. Photo: INSTAGRAM / Nicholas Meregali
Nicholas Meregali believes that if he emerges victorious at UFC BJJ 5, the result will represent only a small part of a much greater achievement. The three-time world champion... Jiu Jitsu He returns to the mat against Nicholas Maglicic at the event scheduled for next Thursday (12), after almost two years of inactivity, determined to reaffirm his place among the great names of the gentle art.
In an exclusive interview with SUPER LUTAS, the black belt recalled the turbulent period he faced away from competitions. He underwent four surgeries, was sidelined from tournaments for 17 months, and spent an entire year without training. Even so, during his recovery, Meregali states that the process strengthened him physically and mentally, in addition to providing more experience and maturity, contributing to his technical and tactical evolution.
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“It was very difficult. There were four surgeries, 17 months without competing, a year without training, and I only trained for seven months. I had post-surgery complications, foreign bodies. But I rebuilt myself little by little, teaching here and there, physical preparation, a light training session. I came out stronger physically and mentally, more experienced, more mature… That’s the perspective. I managed to develop technically and tactically, but I think now I need much more experience in competition and those things that are part of an athlete’s routine,” said Meregali.
Nicholas also emphasized that, at this moment, he prefers to focus his energy on his own performance, without creating expectations about the outcome of the fight. According to Meregali, the focus is on returning to competition and feeling the fighting atmosphere again. Confident, he indicated that, if it already represented a tough challenge before, he believes it can become even more dangerous after this period of overcoming it.
“To be honest, I’m not very focused on what’s going to happen; I’m focused on myself. I need to compete, to step onto the mat. And if things were already bad for them before (if I come back stronger), they’re going to get even worse,” continued the three-time world champion.
Meregali praises rival and states that victory will be a consequence of overcoming challenges.
Analyzing Nicholas Maglicic, the Brazilian recognized his opponent's qualities. He highlighted his technical efficiency, good movement in all areas of Jiu-Jitsu, and aggressive style. According to Meregali, the duel is likely to be dynamic and marked by exchanges of positions. Although his opponent doesn't yet have a large following or popularity on social media, he believes his rival possesses a respectable technical level.
“He’s good at jiu-jitsu, he knows how to move in all areas, he’s very efficient. I’m expecting something positive from this fight. He’s a guy who moves forward and tries to engage in the fight and create dominant situations, so it’s going to be a really cool fight. He’s an opponent who, although he’s not a big brand, barely has any Instagram followers, is a guy with pretty decent technical skills, so it’s going to be a real jiu-jitsu exchange fight,” analyzed the black belt.
Finally, the three-time champion emphasized that he is not making predictions about the outcome. More than the victory itself, the main objective is to return to competition and test his jiu-jitsu at a high level again. For him, triumphing in the event will only be a consequence of something greater: the personal confirmation that he has overcome all the adversities faced during his time away.
“I don’t have (a prediction of the result), I just want to get back to competing, to exchange jiu-jitsu with someone. After this slump that lasted a long time to get over, I think winning on Thursday will be the least of the victories I’ll be bringing home. The main one is proving to myself that I’m fucking awesome and that I’ve overcome everything life has thrown at me,” concluded the jiu-jitsu star.
Nicholas Meregali enters the action at UFC BJJ 5
MEREGALI MARKS HIS RETURN‼️
Nicholas Meregali makes his highly anticipated return against IBJJF No-Gi World Champion Nicholas Maglicic at #UFCBJJ5!
[ Live and FREE on YouTube | FEB 12 THU ] pic.twitter.com/xmlrqbSbgk
— UFC BJJ (@ufcbjj) February 2, 2026
Multiple champion Nicholas Meregali returns to the mats this Thursday (12), at UFC BJJ 5. The Brazilian faces Australian Nicholas Maglicic in one of the most anticipated duels of the night, which takes place at the UFC APEX, in Las Vegas, starting at 23 pm (Brasilia time). The main fight of the event will be the bantamweight title fight between Mikey Musumeci and Shay Montague, with exclusive broadcast on the Combate channel.
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