Felipe Pena expects Nicholas Meregali rivalry to continue

Felipe "Preguiça" Pena believes his rivalry with Nicholas Meregali is far from over. On Saturday, the Brazilian defeated his longtime opponent by unanimous decision in their third meeting at Spaten Fight Night 3, giving Meregali a 2-1 lead in their overall series. Pena believes another matchup is likely, especially considering fans enjoy watching them compete against each other.

Felipe Pena Expects Nicholas Meregali Rematch

Pena and Meregali first met in 2018, when Meregali submitted Pena at the IBJJF World Championship. The two jiu-jitsu champions faced each other again five years later at UFC Fight Pass Invitational 5, with Meregali emerging victorious once again by submission. At Spaten Fight Night 3, they met for the third time, with Pena scoring his first win over his rival.

Speaking to Ag Fight, Pena explained that he believes he will probably face Meregali on the mats once again.

"Probably, yes (we'll meet again). It's a fight that sells, people like watching our rivalry. It's 1-1 in no-gi, I still plan on competing for a few more years, and I think he does too. So there's no reason why this fight shouldn't happen again."

Although Meregali leads their overall series 2-1, the two fighters are tied 1-1 when considering only their no-gi matchups.

Felipe Pena Keeps Rivalry with Nicholas Meregali on the Mat

Pena and Meregali have one of the most heated rivalries in modern jiu-jitsu. However, despite the provocations, Preguiça has made it clear that he has nothing personal against his rival. Although he admits he will probably never be friends with Meregali, Pena stated that their competition stays on the mat.

"I think once the fight was over, everything stayed on the mat. We didn't really talk much, but that's how it should be. We have this rivalry, his personality doesn't match mine, and I don't think we'll ever be friends. It's a rivalry that stays on the mat, nothing personal. I want to kill him on the mat, and he wants to kill me on the mat. Whoever is better on the day wins, we put a stone on it and move on."

Felipe Pena Believes He's Made Significant Improvements

After achieving his first win against Meregali, Pena believes he has made considerable improvements in his game and finds himself in a very different moment now. The Brazilian also acknowledged his opponent's elite-level skills and explained why small details can decide their fights.

"We fought a few years ago, and these are different moments. I train a lot, so I was able to improve a lot. He has certainly trained and improved as well, but I think we're in different moments now. I'm a different Felipe Preguiça today than I was in our last fight. Nicholas is an excellent athlete, extremely high-level, and so am I. I think at this level, it's the small details that make the difference."

Pena believes the evolution of both athletes could make another meeting different from their previous encounters. For now, however, the Brazilian can celebrate finally getting a win over Meregali after losing their two previous fights.