Skip to content
The BJJ Story
Search
Back to people
Two training partners meeting on the mat.Drawn in cream, forest green, and muted terracotta. People and objects are symbolic illustrations.
Portrait unavailable. General BJJ illustration; not a likeness of this person.Illustration: The BJJ Story

Nic Ruben Nikolaisen

Nic Ruben Nikolaisen is a Norwegian BJJ black belt under Eduardo “Teta” Rios, known for no-gi competition and coaching at Frontline Academy.

Biography

Nic Ruben Nikolaisen is a Norwegian Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Eduardo “Teta” Rios whose no-gi competition and coaching work are tied to Frontline Academy in Drammen. IBJJF event results supply most of the competition record below. Frontline says he began martial arts at 13 and held a taekwondo black belt by 19. After an injury, he turned to Thai boxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu; the academy credits Rios with awarding him his BJJ black belt. At the 2007 World No-Gi Championship, Nikolaisen won the adult brown-belt open class and placed second at middleweight. He was second at middleweight again at the 2008 World No-Gi Championship, and took third in that division at the 2008 European Championship. A year later, he placed second at brown-belt middleweight in the European Championship. His black-belt results include third at middleweight in the 2010 Pan No-Gi Championship, third at the 2012 and 2014 European No-Gi Championships, and second at the 2013 edition. The IBJJF's 2015 European No-Gi page is marked as a partial result, but its listed divisions place him third at both middleweight and open class. He took second in both divisions at the 2015 Zurich International Open No-Gi event, then third in both at the 2016 European No-Gi Championship. In 2018 he placed third at Master 1 middleweight in the European Championship and second at middleweight in the Rome International Open. Outside those events, Fighter Magazine listed him first in the advanced under-75 kg open class at the 2010 Norwegian Open. Boxemag reported that he won the eight-man 77 kg tournament at the 2016 Bordeaux Submission Contest, taking the final on points in overtime. Sherdog also lists professional MMA bouts for him in 2009 and 2010. Frontline's instructor page lists Nikolaisen in Drammen as responsible for Brazilian jiu-jitsu, no-gi BJJ and MMA. A 2016 profile of Joseph Karim says Karim trained under him in Drammen for a couple of years; in a 2024 interview, Jens Platt identified Nikolaisen as his coach and described him as patient when teaching techniques. Frontline says Nikolaisen aims to make training instructive, demanding and enjoyable while placing character ahead of advanced technique. In a separate academy interview, Nikolaisen said that regular attendance mattered more than being the most physically capable, and that seeing students develop was among the most rewarding parts of his work.

Sources for this profile

  • Frontline Academy, "Våre instruktører" (undated)(opens in a new tab)

    • Frontline Academy says Nic Ruben Nikolaisen began martial arts at age 13 and had earned a taekwondo black belt by age 19.

      Where in the source: Browser-rendered page, heading "DRAMMEN" and the paragraph beginning "Nic Ruben Nikolaisen har en bred kampsport bakgrunn"; source wording includes "startet allerede som 13 åring" and "I en alder av 19 år hadde han allerede sitt sortbelte i TKD".

      Accessed:

    • Frontline Academy says an injury led Nikolaisen to explore Thai boxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

      Where in the source: Browser-rendered page, heading "DRAMMEN", same instructor paragraph; source wording: "på grunn av en skade ønsket han å utforske Thaiboksing og Brasiliansk Jiu-Jitsu".

      Accessed:

    • Frontline Academy credits Eduardo "Teta" Rios with awarding Nikolaisen his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.

      Where in the source: Browser-rendered page, heading "DRAMMEN", same instructor paragraph; source wording: "fikk han sitt sortbelte i BJJ fra Eduardo «Teta» Rios". The printed year is deliberately excluded because claim b02 documents a conflicting year on another Frontline page.

      Accessed:

    • Frontline Academy's instructor page lists Nikolaisen under Drammen as responsible for Brazilian jiu-jitsu, no-gi BJJ and MMA.

      Where in the source: INSTRUKTØRER > DRAMMEN; printed name 'Nic Ruben Nikolaissen', role 'fagansvarlig brasiliansk jiu-jitsu, no-gi bjj og mma'; biography below prints 'Nic Ruben Nikolaisen'.

      Accessed:

    • Frontline Academy says Nikolaisen prioritizes character before advanced martial-arts training and aims for instructive, appropriately demanding and enjoyable sessions.

      Where in the source: INSTRUKTØRER > DRAMMEN; paragraphs beginning 'Innen kampsport trening ønsker han først å se' and 'Treningene legges opp til å være lærerike'.

      Accessed:

  • Rita Tvede Bartolomei for Frontline Academy, "Et kampsportsenter som bygger psykisk og fysisk helse for alle" (undated)(opens in a new tab)

    • In a Frontline Academy interview, Nikolaisen says that showing up consistently matters more than being physically best and that seeing people develop and experience mastery is one of the most rewarding parts of his work.

      Where in the source: Browser-rendered article, paragraph directly beneath his name; source wording: "det viktigste er ikke å være best fysisk, men å møte opp på trening over tid" and "se mennesker utvikle seg og oppleve mestring".

      Accessed:

  • International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, "World Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi IBJJF Championship 2007" results archive(opens in a new tab)

    • Nikolaisen placed second in the adult male brown-belt middleweight division at the 2007 IBJJF World No-Gi Championship, representing Frontline.

      Where in the source: Browser-rendered full block "Adult / Brown / Male / Middle", checked with the adjacent "Light" and "Medium Heavy" blocks to establish the [place | athlete | academy] order; source row reads "2 | Nic Ruben Nikolaisen Frontline".

      Accessed:

    • Nikolaisen won the adult male brown-belt open class at the 2007 IBJJF World No-Gi Championship, representing Frontline.

      Where in the source: Browser-rendered full block "Adult / Brown / Male / Open Class", checked with the preceding "Ultra Heavy" and following "Master 1 / Brown / Male / Feather" blocks; source row reads "1 | Nic Ruben Nikolaisen Frontline".

      Accessed:

  • International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, "World Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi IBJJF Championship 2008" results archive(opens in a new tab)

    • Nikolaisen placed second in the adult male brown-belt middleweight division at the 2008 IBJJF World No-Gi Championship, representing Frontline.

      Where in the source: Browser-rendered full block "Adult / Brown / Male / Middle", checked with adjacent "Light" and "Medium Heavy" blocks; source row reads "2 | Nic Ruben Nikolaisen Frontline".

      Accessed:

  • International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, "European Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2008" results archive(opens in a new tab)

    • Nikolaisen placed third in the adult male brown-belt middleweight division at the 2008 IBJJF European Championship, representing Frontline.

      Where in the source: Browser-rendered full block "Adult / Brown / Male / Middle", checked with adjacent "Light" and "Medium Heavy" blocks; the category lists two third-place athletes and includes "3 | Nic Ruben Nikolaisen Frontline".

      Accessed:

  • International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, "Pan Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi IBJJF Championship 2010" results archive(opens in a new tab)

    • Nikolaisen placed third in the adult male black-belt middleweight division at the 2010 IBJJF Pan No-Gi Championship, representing Frontline.

      Where in the source: Browser-rendered full block "Adult / Black / Male / Middle", checked with adjacent "Light" and "Heavy" blocks; the category lists two third-place athletes and includes "3 | Nic Ruben Nikolaisen Frontline".

      Accessed:

  • International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation database, "European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2012" results; page marked final result May 15, 2021(opens in a new tab)

    • Nikolaisen placed third in the adult male black-belt middleweight division at the 2012 IBJJF European No-Gi Championship, representing Frontline Academy.

      Where in the source: Browser-rendered event page titled "European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2012"; full "Adult / Male / Black / Middle" block checked with adjacent "Light" and "Medium-Heavy" blocks; row sequence is 1 Michael Alexandre Langhi, 2 Matheus Carmona Pequeno de Barros, 3 Nic Ruben Nikolaisen, 3 Oliver Leys Geddes.

      Accessed:

  • International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation database, "European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2014" results; page marked final result May 15, 2021(opens in a new tab)

    • Nikolaisen placed third in the adult male black-belt middleweight division at the 2014 IBJJF European No-Gi Championship, representing Frontline Academy.

      Where in the source: Browser-rendered event page titled "European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2014"; full "Adult / Male / Black / Middle" block checked with adjacent "Light" and "Medium-Heavy" blocks; row sequence is 1 Luca Anacoreta, 2 Pedro Henrique Weiss Bessa, 3 Nic Ruben Nikolaisen.

      Accessed:

  • International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation database, "European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2015" results; page marked partial result May 14, 2021(opens in a new tab)

    • Nikolaisen placed third in the adult male black-belt middleweight division at the 2015 IBJJF European No-Gi Championship, representing Frontline Academy.

      Where in the source: Browser-rendered event page titled "European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2015"; full "Adult / Male / Black / Middle" block checked with adjacent "Light" and "Medium-Heavy" blocks; row sequence is 1 Eduardo Rios, 2 Luca Anacoreta, 3 Darragh O Conaill, 3 Nic Ruben Nikolaisen.

      Accessed:

  • International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation database, "European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2018" results(opens in a new tab)

    • Nikolaisen placed third in the Master 1 male black-belt middleweight division at the 2018 IBJJF European Championship, representing Frontline Academy.

      Where in the source: Browser-rendered event page titled "European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2018"; full "Master 1 / Male / Black / Middle (82.30kg)" block checked with adjacent "Light (76.00kg)" and "Medium-Heavy (88.30kg)" blocks; row sequence includes 3 Nic Ruben Nikolaisen Frontline Academy.

      Accessed:

  • Sherdog Fight Finder, "Nic Ruben Nikolaisen" fighter record (undated database entry)(opens in a new tab)

    • Sherdog's professional fight history records Nikolaisen in one bout in 2009 and one bout in 2010, under the Frontline Academy association.

      Where in the source: Browser-rendered fighter page, heading "Nic Ruben Nikolaisen" and section "FIGHT HISTORY - PRO"; visible rows are dated "Aug / 07 / 2009" and "Jul / 31 / 2010", while the association field reads "Frontline Academy".

      Accessed:

    • Sherdog identifies Nikolaisen with Norway and Oslo on the fighter page.

      Where in the source: Browser-rendered fighter page, identity block beneath the name "Nic Ruben Nikolaisen"; visible location labels read "Norway" and "Oslo".

      Accessed:

  • Boxemag.com, "Bordeaux Submission Contest 2016 – Les Résultats", May 22, 2016(opens in a new tab)

    • Boxemag reports that Nikolaisen won the eight-man 77 kg tournament at the 2016 Bordeaux Submission Contest, defeating Mehdi Otmane on points in the semifinal and Matthieu Husson on points in overtime in the final.

      Where in the source: Browser-rendered article under "Bordeaux Submission Contest 2016 – Les Résultats", published May 22, 2016; source wording says "grand vainqueur du tournoi à 8" and lists the full 77 kg quarterfinal, semifinal, third-place, and final blocks, including the final "aux points en prolongations".

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, European Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2009 results(opens in a new tab)

    • Nikolaisen placed second in adult male brown-belt middleweight at the 2009 IBJJF European Championship, representing Frontline.

      Where in the source: European Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2009; full ADULT / BROWN / MALE / MIDDLE between LIGHT and MEDIUM HEAVY: 1 Luciano Cristovam, 2 Nic Ruben Nikolaisen Frontline, 3 Martin Aedma, 3 Remco Rettob.

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2013 results(opens in a new tab)

    • Nikolaisen placed second in adult male black-belt middleweight at the 2013 IBJJF European No-Gi Championship, representing Frontline Academy.

      Where in the source: European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2013; MALE / ADULT / BLACK / MIDDLE (175.60LB), between LIGHT and MEDIUM HEAVY: 1 Eduardo Rios, 2 Nic Ruben Nikolaisen, 3 João Cândido Santos M. Leitão, 3 Oliver Leys Geddes.

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2015 results(opens in a new tab)

    • Nikolaisen placed third in the adult male black-belt open class at the 2015 IBJJF European No-Gi Championship, representing Frontline Academy.

      Where in the source: European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2015; MALE / ADULT / BLACK / OPEN CLASS after ULTRA HEAVY: 1 Jackson Sousa dos Santos, 2 Charles Negromonte Santos, 3 Nic Ruben Nikolaisen, 3 Renato Tavares de Moraes.

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2016 results(opens in a new tab)

    • Nikolaisen placed third in adult male black-belt middleweight at the 2016 IBJJF European No-Gi Championship, representing Frontline Academy.

      Where in the source: European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2016; MALE / ADULT / BLACK / MIDDLE (79.50KG), between LIGHT and MEDIUM HEAVY: 1 Eduardo Rios, 2 Luca Anacoreta, 3 David Ben Zaken, 3 Nic Ruben Nikolaisen.

      Accessed:

    • Nikolaisen placed third in the adult male black-belt open class at the 2016 IBJJF European No-Gi Championship, representing Frontline Academy.

      Where in the source: European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2016; MALE / ADULT / BLACK / OPEN CLASS after ULTRA HEAVY: 1 Lucio Furtado Rodrigues, 2 Eduardo Rios, 3 Claudio de Mattos Cardoso, 3 Nic Ruben Nikolaisen.

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Zurich International Open IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2015 results(opens in a new tab)

    • Nikolaisen placed second in adult male black-belt middleweight at the 2015 Zurich International Open No-Gi Championship, representing Frontline Academy.

      Where in the source: Zurich International Open IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2015; MALE / ADULT / BLACK / MIDDLE (79.50KG): 1 Jacob Williams Mackenzie, 2 Nic Ruben Nikolaisen, 3 Ilke Kubilay Bulut, 3 Ryan L Durbin; adjacent divisions checked.

      Accessed:

    • Nikolaisen placed second in adult male black-belt open class at the 2015 Zurich International Open No-Gi Championship, representing Frontline Academy.

      Where in the source: Zurich International Open IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2015; MALE / ADULT / BLACK / OPEN CLASS after SUPER HEAVY: 1 Jacob Williams Mackenzie, 2 Nic Ruben Nikolaisen.

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Rome International Open IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2018 results(opens in a new tab)

    • Nikolaisen placed second in adult male black-belt middleweight at the 2018 Rome International Open, representing Frontline Academy.

      Where in the source: Rome International Open IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2018; MALE / ADULT / BLACK / MIDDLE (82.30KG), between LIGHT and MEDIUM HEAVY: 1 Alec Jerrod Baulding, 2 Nic Ruben Nikolaisen, 3 Bradley Brian H. Hill, 3 Rodrigo Fonseca da Rocha.

      Accessed:

  • Fighter Magazine, Resultat Norwegian Open, 22 June 2010(opens in a new tab)

    • Fighter Magazine's 2010 Norwegian Open results place Nikolaisen first in the advanced open class under 75 kg, listed with Frontline Oslo.

      Where in the source: Resultat Norwegian Open; complete Advanced Open Class -75 kilos: 1st Nic Ruben Nikolaisen Frontline Oslo, 2nd Ameer Harris Khan, 3rd Idriz Musajev; adjacent Advanced +91 and Open +75 blocks checked.

      Accessed:

  • Pål Magnus Bjørlo, MMA Viking, 30 January 2016(opens in a new tab)

    • A 2016 MMA Viking profile says Joseph Karim trained for a couple of years under Nikolaisen in Drammen before moving to Oslo.

      Where in the source: Grappler Joseph Karim Ready for Professional MMA Debut; paragraph beginning 'The Norwegian found BJJ after having a paintball war' includes 'trained for a couple of years under Nic Ruben Nikolaisen'.

      Accessed:

  • MMA-Norway, interview with Jens Platt, 19 September 2024(opens in a new tab)

    • In a 2024 MMA-Norway interview, Jens Platt identifies Nikolaisen as his coach and describes him as patient when teaching techniques.

      Where in the source: Interview '- Det er en sport som ikke er lik noen annen sport.'; question beginning 'Treneren din, Nic Ruben Nikolaisen' and Platt's answer 'veldig tålmodig med folk når det kommer til det å lære bort noe'.

      Accessed:

Competition results

Recorded tournament results, newest first
YearEventResultDivision
2007IBJJF No-Gi World ChampionshipSource: ibjjf.comOpen class (brown belt)No-giVerifiedGoldOpen class (brown belt)No-giVerified
2007IBJJF No-Gi World ChampionshipSource: ibjjf.comMiddleweight (brown belt)No-giVerifiedSilverMiddleweight (brown belt)No-giVerified

Lineage

View in lineage tree

Students2