Kaynan Duarte and Nicky Rodriguez are set to headline Who’s Number One (WNO) 27 on April 18, 2025, in what is shaping up to be one of the biggest no-gi grappling matches of the year.
With Gordon Ryan largely inactive due to injury, this may be the most significant matchup currently possible in the grappling world. Both competitors have been on dominant runs, proving themselves at the highest levels of the sport.
Rodriguez had a career-defining performance at the inaugural Craig Jones Invitational, where he secured four submissions in four matches to win the over 80kg division.
Duarte achieved a similarly impressive feat at ADCC 2024, submitting all four of his opponents to claim the under 99kg title.
He then went on to win the absolute division as well, making him a double champion and securing his place in the 2026 ADCC superfight.
This will not be the first time these two have faced off, though.
They previously met twice in 2019, with Duarte winning on points in their first encounter and submitting Rodriguez in the second.
However, both grapplers have evolved significantly since then, making their upcoming bout an entirely different challenge.
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