JitsCast #66 features one of the biggest legends of the Jiu-Jitsu world, Michelle Nicolini. Not only did Nicolini rise to the top of the sport back when there were incredibly few women involved, but she went on to become one of the most decorated female competitors of all time. She still ranks one of the most prolific world champions ever, with an incredible 8 IBJJF World Championship gold medals across multiple different weight classes. She didn’t just compete in the gi during her career either; Nicolini also won 4 different ADCC medals in the under 60kg division, including a gold medal at ADCC 2013.
Jits Magazine spoke to Nicolini about her experience starting Jiu-Jitsu back in it’s earliest days as a proper competitive sport, and how she found it being one of just a handful of women on the mat at the time. She explained how she originally started with Capoeira before searching for a way to test herself in competition; which brought her to Jiu-Jitsu. Nicolini also reflected on how much the sport has changed since she first started; explaining that the growth in participation across all divisions is one of the biggest things that she has noticed over the past two decades.
Nicolini went on to talk about her time as a professional MMA fighter, doing a deep dive into several of her earlier fights and sharing some of the background behind them. She then shared her experience competing for ONE Championship, and what drove her to leave MMA behind in the end. Nicolini also spent some time talking about the next major event in her calendar, BJJ Summer Week 2026. She will be taking part in the world’s biggest BJJ training camp yet again, acting as both a coach and a student learning from other coaches over the course of the week.
JitsCast #66 with Michelle Nicolini is now available to watch on the official Jits Magazine YouTube channel, click here to subscribe for more or check out they interview below:
