Michael Pixley has been promoted to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt after winning gold in the brown belt super-heavyweight division at the IBJJF No Gi World Championship 2025.
The promotion came immediately after his podium finish, with his longtime coach Heath Pedigo tying the belt around his waist following a dominant title run.
Already regarded as one of the elite no-gi grapplers in the sport, Pixley backed up that reputation by defeating three of the top brown belts in his division to win No Gi Worlds on his first attempt.
The performance capped off a rapid rise that has seen him consistently outperform expectations at every major event he’s entered.
Pixley first broke through in 2024 when he won the under 99kg division at the ADCC North American West Coast Trials while still a purple belt.
Later that year, he entered ADCC 2024 as an underdog but finished fourth overall, producing one of the tournament’s most talked-about moments with a submission victory over Nicholas Meregali in the second round.
After being promoted to brown belt, Pixley made his debut at the IBJJF No Gi Pan Championship 2025, where he stormed through the bracket with a 100% submission rate.
That performance earned him a top seed at No Gi Worlds, where he stood out as the only ADCC veteran in the division and delivered a near-flawless run to the title.
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