Ross Nicholls
Black
Biography
Ross Nicholls is a Welsh Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and one of the most successful submission specialists on the UK and European grappling circuits. He began training in Wales before moving to London to study biomedical science, continuing his development under Cesar Lima and Roger Gracie. Nicholls earned his black belt in 2014.
Nicholls gained international recognition after a competitive match with Oliver Taza on the Polaris stage in 2017, which marked a shift toward primarily no-gi competition. His major accomplishments include winning the European ADCC Trials, securing three Polaris superfight victories, and capturing the IBJJF No-Gi British National Championship.
His technical style is defined by a high-paced, attacking approach with expertise in systematic leglock entries and finishes. Nicholls' notable victories include wins over UFC fighter Mateusz Gamrot, Gianni Grippo, and Nathan Orchard.
In recent years, Nicholls has focused increasingly on coaching at London Grapple, where he continues to mentor a growing team of high-level athletes and shape the development of the UK no-gi scene.
Personal
* Legend status is reserved for retired athletes with outstanding achievements and a lasting impact on the sport.
Rankings
Submissions Breakdown
| Submission | Wins | Losses |
|---|---|---|
| Armbar | 4 | 1 |
| Outside heel hook | 3 | 1 |
| Heel hook | 3 | 0 |
| Rear naked | 1 | 0 |
| Ude gatame | 1 | 0 |
| Inside heel hook | 1 | 0 |
| Kata gatame | 0 | 1 |
| Aoki lock | 0 | 1 |
| Opponent | Result | Date | Event | Method | Weight | Round | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellis Younger | Win | 2022 | ADCC Trials - Europe | Points: 2-0 | 77KG | — | 30 |
| Tommy Langaker | Loss | 2022 | ADCC Trials - Europe | Points: 6-0 | 77KG | Semi-Finals | — |
| Chris Wojcik | Win | 2022 | ADCC Trials - Europe | Decision | 77KG | Quarter-Finals | 30 |
| Rafal Farjaszewski | Win | 2022 | ADCC Trials - Europe | Decision | 77KG | 16 | 21 |
| Liam Alpang | Win | 2022 | ADCC Trials - Europe | Points: 3-0 | 77KG | 32 | 17 |
| Moataz Barkouky | Win | 2022 | ADCC Trials - Europe | Armbar | 77KG | 64 | 13 |
| Tom Maenurm | Win | 2021 | ADCC Trials - Europe | Points: 9-0 | 77KG | — | 21 |
| Mateusz Szczecinski | Loss | 2021 | ADCC Trials - Europe | Aoki lock | 77KG | 16 | — |
| Nathan Orchard | Draw | 2021 | Polaris Squads 3 | N/A | Absolute | — | 57 |
| Nick Ronan | Draw | 2021 | Polaris Squads 3 | N/A | 75KG | — | 57 |
| Frederic Vosgrone | Loss | 2020 | Polaris Grand Prix | Points: 1-0 | Absolute | Finals | — |
| Bradley Hill | Win | 2020 | Polaris Grand Prix | Decision | Absolute | Semi-Finals | 525 |
| Dominic Dillon | Win | 2020 | Polaris Grand Prix | Points: 1-0 | Absolute | Quarter-Finals | 225 |
| Lachlan Giles | Loss | 2019 | GrappleFest 5 | Decision | 80KG | — | — |
| Vagner Rocha | Loss | 2019 | Polaris 9 | Decision | 77KG | — | — |
| Kamil Wilk | Draw | 2019 | Pantheon Invitational | N/A | 76KG | — | 1 |
| Sean Mcdonagh | Win | 2019 | Pantheon Invitational | Decision | 80KG | Finals | 3 |
| Lloyd Cooper | Win | 2019 | Pantheon Invitational | Armbar | 80KG | Semi-Finals | 2 |
| JT Torres | Loss | 2019 | ADCC | Penalty | 77KG | 16 | — |
| Denis Brotzmann | Win | 2018 | ADCC Trials - Europe | Ude gatame | 77KG | — | 11 |
| Mateusz Gamrot | Win | 2018 | ADCC Trials - Europe | Inside heel hook | 77KG | Finals | 105 |
| Mateusz Szczecinski | Win | 2018 | ADCC Trials - Europe | Decision | 77KG | Semi-Finals | 60 |
| Vegard Randeberg | Win | 2018 | ADCC Trials - Europe | Outside heel hook | 77KG | Quarter-Finals | 11 |
| Dinu Bucalet | Win | 2018 | ADCC Trials - Europe | Armbar | 77KG | 16 | 8 |
| Ross Ridpath | Win | 2018 | English No-Gi Open | Unknown | Absolute | Finals | 3 |
| Lewis Long | Win | 2018 | English No-Gi Open | Points: 14-4 | 85KG | Finals | 3 |
| Rodrigo Oliveira | Win | 2018 | English No-Gi Open | Unknown | 85KG | Semi-Finals | 2 |
| Jack Grant | Win | 2018 | GrappleFest | Armbar | Absolute | — | 11 |
| Nathan Orchard | Win | 2018 | Polaris 7 | Decision | 77KG | — | 113 |
| Fabian Edwards | Win | 2018 | Submitting Things | Heel hook | Absolute | — | 1 |
| Eoghan O'Flanagan | Loss | 2018 | Submitting Things | Armbar | Absolute | — | — |
| Jack Grant | Win | 2018 | Submitting Things | Decision | Absolute | Semi-Finals | 2 |
| Dan Vinni | Win | 2018 | Submitting Things | Heel hook | Absolute | Quarter-Finals | 1 |
| Tommi Pulkkanen | Win | 2018 | Polaris 6 | Heel hook | 73KG | — | 113 |
| Gianni Grippo | Win | 2018 | GrappleFest 3 | Decision | 80KG | — | 11 |
| Darragh O'Conaill | Win | 2017 | British No-Gi Nationals | Points: 4-2 | 79KG | Finals | 2 |
| Oliver Taza | Loss | 2017 | TUFF Kumite | Outside heel hook | 80KG | — | — |
| Jack Cronin | Win | 2017 | TUFF Kumite | Outside heel hook | 80KG | — | 1 |
| Daniel Crawford | Win | 2017 | TUFF Kumite | Outside heel hook | 80KG | — | 1 |
| Oliver Taza | Loss | 2017 | Polaris 5 | Decision | 76KG | — | — |
| Augusto Mendes | Loss | 2016 | No-Gi Worlds | Kata gatame | 73KG | — | — |
| Christian Lopez | Win | 2016 | No-Gi Worlds | Rear naked | 73KG | — | 16 |
| Osvaldo Moizinho | Loss | 2016 | British No-Gi Nationals | Points | 73KG | Finals | — |
| Max Campos | Win | 2016 | British No-Gi Nationals | Points | 73KG | Semi-Finals | 1 |
| Gabriel Rollo | Loss | 2015 | No-Gi Worlds | Points: 6-2 | 73KG | 16 | — |