Nicole Sullivan - An American BJJ Black Belt

Nikki Sullivan is a dynamic force to be reckoned with in the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. From a young age, she was an active ground player, honing her skills on the soccer field in high school. But it wasn't until her college years that she truly found her calling in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

With her fierce determination and tireless spirit, Nikki Sullivan gained a high rank in the grappling world, competing at the international levels and earning the respect of her peers. Whether she's training at the gym or dominating at a tournament, Nikki Sullivan remained idiosyncratic in the world of martial arts.

Nicole Sullivan was born on the 6th of August 1988, in the home of the University of Illinois, Champaign. At an early age, Nicole Sullivan moved to Columbus, Indiana with her family where she enjoyed the growing years of her life.

While studying in high school in Indiana, Nikki’s attracted to the exciting and challenging sport of soccer. Nikki always enjoyed playing on the ground that developed an affection for the beautiful game of football. She started practicing and competing until her final year of high school.

After completing her high school degree, Nikki enrolled in the renowned university of Indiana. IU  was recognized for having one of the top martial arts programs in the country. Nicole availed of that opportunity eagerly. She signed up for the taekwondo course during her early years at the university.

Nicole Sullivan’s martial arts journey started at Indiana University in Bloomington. Despite initially being drawn to the Korean art of Taekwondo. However, her love for martial arts was far from reckoned.

After a brief stint in Taekwondo, Nikki discovered the practicality and effectiveness of Hapkido and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In her senior university years, Nikki’s passion was reignited, leading her down the path of Hapkido and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. She finally opted for her true calling in the world of martial arts - BJJ.

She was immediately drawn to the practicality and efficiency of styles and techniques of both combat sports. She devoted herself to attaining high ranks in both martial arts. Nicole Sullivan's journey in the world of martial arts has been one of perseverance and determination.

Nikki started professional Jiu-Jitsu training under the supervision of Evan Mannweiler who was a purple belt at the time. Sullivan's interest in physical activities was based on her love of grappling. This "love at first sight" with the sport meant that Nicole fully embraced the university's grappling community and continued her training after graduation.

While counting on her graduation from Indiana University, Nikki had the privilege of meeting Josh Hinger, a well-known BJJ competitor who was in Indiana working on his Master's degree. Hinger taught her Jiu-Jitsu techniques and she continued her degree. This mentorship played a crucial role in Nicolle's progression in Jiu-Jitsu.

Nikki also got the chance to polish her skills under Dax Razzano, who was a local black belt at that time in Bloomington. Dax Razzano's guidance magnified her grappling skills and promoted her to Purple Belt by observing Nikki’s phenomenal performance.

After her purple belt promotion, Nicole's career as a teacher took her to Kentucky, where she joined “Nice Guy Submission Fighting”, a gym led by Bobby Emmons, Joe Baize, and David Overfield. Nikki's journey in the world of BJJ continued to flourish in Kentucky, where she continued to hone her grappling skills with the motive of attaining new heights in the grappling world.

While in Kentucky, Sullivan began to contemplate making a career change and pursuing her passion for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as a professional grappler. The idea of moving to California was a dream that had been brewing for some time.

The final decision to pursue this dream came after the 2017 ADCC West Coast Trials, where Sullivan ran into Josh Hinger. During their meeting, both discussed the possibility of Nikki moving to California to train and pursue her passion for BJJ.

Hinger showed his full support for the idea and encouraged Sullivan to train at Atos full-time, offering to help with the logistics. After joining the Atos BJJ, Nikki's extraordinary grappling skills made her a mainstay of the female Atos Jiu-Jitsu team. Her dedicated approach to Jiu-Jitsu techniques is a testament to her brilliant success on the mat.

As a white belt athlete, attaining the black belt level always seems like a unicorn. When one first puts his/her feet on the mat, it feels almost impossible to reach the black belt level. However, consistency and hard work beyond the comfort zone can make every grappler a black belt. The same thing happened in the journey of Nikii Sullivan.

Arriving in San Diego as an experienced brown belt, Sullivan dedicated herself to her grappling training, putting in dedicated 18 months of hard work and determination. On January 2, 2019, her efforts were rewarded when she received her black belt from the co-founder of Atos, André Galvão.

Couple of years ago, Nicole Sullivan was spotted in a BJJ Gi that was nothing short of a work of art. This stupendous piece of martial arts attire was graced with the emblem of a recognizable brand of  Elite Sports. Gi’s sleek design and top-notch color and quality, made her look like a formidable warrior, but it also displayed her allegiance to one of the most trusted names in the world of BJJ gear. So, the next time you step on the mat, take inspiration from Nicole and choose the unmatched excellence of Elite Sports.

Elite sports conducted an exclusive interview to know the life journey and achievements of a proficient BJJ fighter, Nicole Sullivan. This interview uncovered all the secrets behind her success and brought you an inside look into the true struggle behind this diva.

Question: Any major accomplishments you’ve been able to achieve in that time?

Answer: I won the Abu Dhabi Pro Trials as a blue belt and had the opportunity to go compete in Abu Dhabi. As a purple belt, I won the No-Gi Pan Ams twice. Most recently, I am a 2x Fight To Win Champion, and I was a finalist at the 2017 ADCC West Coast Trials.

Question: What are your goals for this year? Next 3 years? Next 5 years?

Answer: This year: I want to be a world champion of Gi, and No-Gi!

Next 3 years: I want to get my black belt and be an instructor in a gym.

Next 5 years: I want to find a way to do Jiu-Jitsu for a living.

Question: What inspires you about BJJ?

Answer: I love that a smaller, weaker person can use technique and skill to defeat someone bigger and stronger.

Question: How long have you been training?

Answer: 7.5 years.

Question: How often do you train?

Answer: 6 days a week, for 2-3 hours a day.

Question: What are the essential things for the training?

Answer: Focus and hard work to perfect your techniques.

Question: What sort of gear do you usually keep in your gym bag before hitting the gym? Do you have different items for specific days

Answer: I keep a Gi, a rash guard, and spats. Also my belt, and extra clothes.

Question: Do you have a go-to finishing move?

Answer: I like many submissions, but my favorite is to take the back and choke!

Question: What do you think it takes to be a champion in your sports?

Answer: Dedication. If you work hard and don't give up, you can succeed.

This was the final of the No-Gi IBJJF San Jose Open 2020 held between Nicole Sullivan and Danielle Kelly. Daniel is an active BJJ and UFC fighter.

The referee started the match and Danielle separated one leg of Nicole and tried to offensively reap her knee but failed to execute the move because of her technical defense game. In the second attempt, both fighters rolled in the 50/50 positions and then Nicole was on top struggling to control the legs of Danielle.

She tried a half armbar attempt but it was futile.   Danielle’s agility and flexibility was making her look easy to dominate the show. Meanwhile, Danielle scored two points for knee on belly. Her coach shouted from the back, “Attack the toehold” and Danielle nodded. But Nicole swept and got two points. In the next attack, Nicole got hold of the back of Danielle and got 4 points of back control. After the struggle for a few minutes, Nicole finally got her second hook in and transitioned into a triangle, and applied an armbar from the triangle position for the submission.

This was the semifinal of the IBJJF 2020 Pan No-Gi Championship fought between Nicole Sullivan and Tylor Biagi under the lightweight female black belt division. Tylor was a four times Pan title winner at lower belt levels and a BJJ instructor.

Both competitors started the match with great spirit and zeal. Rolling with each other, trying to gain a secure position, avoiding and defending the attacks of the opponent, and making some sloppy mistakes. Meanwhile, Nicole earned two points on the scoreboard. Attacked double leg takedown, earned two points, and tried to control the legs of Nicole. The match ended with two points each and Nicole two extra advantage points and the win.

The final of IBJJF American National 2019 was held between Nicole Sullivan and Vanessa Wexler. Venissa is a mother, BJJ Black Belt fighter, school owner, and model.

The fight started with the instant drama of No-Gi fights. Both fighters attacked each other and showed flexibility and techniques. Nikki was comfortable on the ground and Venissa chose the standing position for attacks. Nikki passed the guard and got two points.

Later Nikki got another two points and the scorecard showed 4/0. Nikki passed another guard and got two points and another 3 points for a knee on the belly and another knee on the belly, 4 points for a back take. The scorecard showed 16/0 and one advantage point for Nikki. Nikki applied the RNC and got the historic dominant submission.

Nicole Sullivan vs Madeleine Håkansson / Washington D.C. Summer Open 2019

Nicole Sullivan vs Amanda Loewen / Portland Open 2019

Nicole Sullivan VS Fabiana Borges / World Master 2019

Nicole Sullivan VS Jessica Cristina / Las Vegas Open 2019

Photo Credit: @nikkicuddlejitsu