![BJJ black belt Nicky Rodriguez (pictured) says former UFC champion was "unexpectedly good" at grappling after training together [Images Courtesy: @nickyrod247 on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/03/5fefa-17094580838197-1920.jpg)
![BJJ black belt Nicky Rodriguez (pictured) says former UFC champion was "unexpectedly good" at grappling after training together [Images Courtesy: @nickyrod247 on Instagram]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns%3Axlink='http%3A//www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20viewBox='0%200%2010%206.25'%3E%3Cfilter%20id='b'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20stdDeviation='.5'%3E%3C/feGaussianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20type='discrete'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20tableValues='1%201'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20filter='url(%23b)'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Nicky Rodriguez is scheduled to feature in the co-main event of the UFC Fight Pass Invitational 6, a submission grappling event, set to take place on Mar. 3.
Known as the 'Black Belt Slayer', Rodriguez made a name for himself by dominating black belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) players as a blue belt during the 2019 Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) World Championships.
He made it all the way to the final, where he was submitted by multiple-time world champion Kaynan Duarte.
Ahead of his match this weekend against Roberto Jimenez, the American sat down in front of the media to preview his co-main event clash. Rodriguez was asked to name any UFC fighters with high-level BJJ skills, and he named a former grappling opponent of his, Luke Rockhold.
Rockhold is known to have some of the best BJJ skills that MMA has seen, and holds several incredible submission wins on his record including a one-arm guillotine win over Michael Bisping and an inverted-triangle kimura against Tim Boetsch.
'Black Belt Slayer' said:
"Luke Rockhold had great jiu-jitsu... I rolled with Rockhold recently. Obviously we had a match on UFC Fight Pass a few years ago, but Rockhold is a great grappler."
He continued:
"He's kind of unexpectedly good. I grappled with Mr. Rockhold maybe two weeks ago and I went out there and I thought it was gonna be easier than it was. It was not easy at all."
Watch Nicky Rodriguez's interview below from 3:15:
Gilbert Burns details fiery BJJ session with Nicky Rodriguez
Gilbert Burns is one of the UFC's top welterweight contenders, and aside from his elite MMA skills, 'Durinho' has an incredible BJJ skillset.
The Brazilian has won several BJJ world championships and also holds nine submission wins in his MMA career. During a recent appearance on Quinton Jackson's JAXXON PODCAST, he recounted a heated grappling session with Nicky Rodriguez.
The session took place in the famous 'blue basement' at Renzo Gracie BJJ in New York, and Burns said:
"That freaking guy gives me a cross face, he almost rolled my neck. I tapped, and I was so mad... And then when it's his turn, I jumped on his neck with everything! I got his neck, and then he tapped. And then the training got even crazier because both egos were there... [We get told to change partner] 'No let's go again.' We kept going. It got to a point where everyone stopped to watch us training."
Watch Burns recount his roll with Nicky Rodriguez below from 1:14:55:
