This weekend will feature some world class gi and no-gi jiu-jitsu, as BJJ Bet II: Who’s Next takes place on Sunday, August 1, from Brazil. The card will feature a match-up between two of the best pound-for-pound gi jiu-jitsu players in the world, as Felipe Pena takes on Nicholas Meregali. The event also showcases an incredibly stacked middleweight grand prix, with the likes of Leandro Lo, Mica Galvao, and Lucas “Hulk” Barbosa competing.
View the full BJJ Bet: Who’s Next line-up below.
Superfights:
Felipe Pena vs Nicholas Meregali
Tayane Porfirio vs Gabi Pessanha
Matheus Gabriel vs. Luan Carvalho
Samuel Nagai vs Matheus Onda
Meyram Alves vs Murilo Amaral
Duda Tozi vs Sayuri Toledo
Léo Lara vs Jorge Michelan
Caio BBG vs Pedro Machado
88 kg Grand Prix:
Leandro Lo
Lucas Barbosa
William Tackett
Mica Galvao
Mauricio Oliveira
Rafael Paganini
Rousimar Palhares
Servio Tulio
Felipe Pena and Nicholas Meregali have faced each other once before as black belts, in the quarterfinals of the absolute division of the 2018 Worlds. Meregali won that match by ezekiel choke. Since then, both men have firmly established themselves as two of the best jiu-jitsu players in the world. Pena would go on to win the Worlds in 2019, and is undefeated in 2021 with wins over Luiz Panza, Gutemberg Pereira, Erich Munis, and Patrick Gaudio. Meregali would also win gold at the 2019 Worlds, and has racked up wins over Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu, Victor Hugo, and Lucas “Hulk” Barbosa.
As good as Pena vs. Meregali is, the real fun might happen in the loaded middleweight grand prix. If both Lucas Barbosa and 17-year old phenom Mica Galvao are able to win their first-round matches, the pair will meet in the semifinals in a match that has grappling fans salivating. Galvao has been on a tear lately defeating Oliver Taza and winning the Third Coast Grappling grand prix on back-to-back nights.
On the other side of the bracket, William Tackett vs. Rousimar Palhares has the makings of a fun leg lock battle, while the legendary seven-time world champion Leandro Lo meets Rafael Paganini.
