Pahrump’s Zackery Wilson rises in IBJJF rankings after dominant 2026 jiu-jitsu season

To understand local jiu-jitsu phenom Zackery Wilson, you’d first have to make sense of his relentless work ethic.

The 18-year-old Gi and No-Gi competitor trains 11 times a week and is quickly climbing the rankings in pursuit of capturing his first International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation world championship.

“You don’t win medals in the training room,” Zack’s father, Robert, said. “But the training room prepares you to win medals.”

You may assume the IBJJF’s No. 21-ranked blue belt lightweight in the world has trained his entire life, but Wilson only began the sport full time five years ago after a brief background in mixed martial arts and kickboxing.

“I messed around on the mats here and there, but that was just me playing around with my brothers,” Zackery said. “I remember when I first wanted to compete, I was there with my father when he was coaching, and I saw him out on the mats with someone, and it just awakened something in me.”

A straight-A student and blue belt out of his father’s gym, Mix It Up Academy in Pahrump, and Zenith Jiu Jitsu under Robert Drysdale (an ADCC champion and world champion) in Las Vegas, Zack has already competed in nine tournaments this year between the NABJJ (1), NAGA (2), Grappling Industries (2) and the IBJJF (4).

IBJJF rankings show Zackery is currently ranked 233rd overall among adult male blue belts in No-Gi across all weight classes, out of 2,484 ranked athletes.

This ranking does not include unranked athletes.

IBJJF rankings are also dynamic — placement can change quickly based on tournament results. For example, winning a major event like the American Nationals can dramatically change seeding and ranking status.

In his division, he is ranked 21st in the adult male blue belt lightweight No-Gi category, out of 402 ranked athletes. This also excludes unranked athletes.

Earning three gold medals this year in both Gi and No-Gi, Wilson’s most recent first-place victory came at the IBJJF Spring Open in San Diego on May 10.

Rankings don’t come easy

The IBJJF’s ranking system is based entirely on points earned through medals in sanctioned tournaments.

Competing doesn’t simply earn you points — you have to place. As a result, thousands of competitors may never get ranked in a season at all.

Once you earn your first few points, you begin appearing in the rankings.

Early on, unranked competitors often face top-ranked opponents in their first matches, which can slow progression.

Wilson’s results, despite that, have come in rapid succession: 15 tournaments in 2025 produced 15 medals, including nine gold, five silver, and one bronze.

Competing in a mixture of teen and adult tournaments last year, the aggressive 2026 schedule has been focused entirely on adult divisions, due to age.

The shift has not slowed him down. Rather, it’s done just the opposite.

“This sport constantly pushes me to want to continuously improve myself, because it’s really easy nowadays to just sit on the couch, watch TV, and not do much,” Wilson said.

Strong season start

Zackery opened this season on Jan. 17 with a bronze medal at the IBJJF San Jose Winter Open, followed by a strong showing at NAGA Las Vegas on Feb. 15, where he earned gold in Gi and silver in the absolute division.

A week later at Grappling Industries in Las Vegas on Feb. 21, he took silver in Gi after moving up a weight class.

By March 22, he was back on top of the podium at NAGA Salt Lake City, capturing gold in Gi and adding bronze in No-Gi.

April brought another surge, including silver at the IBJJF Orange County Spring Open in No-Gi on April 12 and double gold at the NABJJ Las Vegas Open four days later on April 16.

Last month, he continued his dominance at the IBJJF Spring Open in San Diego on May 10, earning 27 ranking points, alongside a double-gold performance (Gi and No-Gi) at Grappling Industries Las Vegas on May 16.

The consistency has made Zackery a familiar name on regional podiums, but his father says the results are only part of the story.

Wilson consistently trains six days a week, splitting his time between morning sessions at Zenith Headquarters in Las Vegas and evening practices at Mix It Up Academy in Pahrump.

He also completes a weekly private lesson on Tuesday mornings with his coach, four-time IBJJF Adult World Champion Nick Hartman.

A lineage of belts is a significant part of the Wilson family’s identity. You could say it runs in the family: Robert is a third-degree black belt under Robert Drysdale and began training in 2003 at Las Vegas Combat Club.

Zackery’s mother, Kimberly, is a first-degree black belt under Drysdale, beginning her own training in 2009. Even his siblings, Nicholas, Alec, and Estefenna, all hold blue belts or higher.

Year far from over

Recovery for Zackery remains just as vital in the overall picture. This includes mobility work, massage therapy, recovery drinks, and structured rest.

Gym culture is also just as important. On his home mats in Pahrump, the goal is always to maintain a safe, focused training environment for serious athletes.

“We’re focused this year on collecting points strategically through multiple events, including American Nationals, Jiu-Jitsu Con, and No-Gi Worlds,” Robert Wilson said. “The goal is to improve seeding so Zack avoids facing top-ranked opponents in the early rounds when possible.”

Both Zackery and Robert said they are looking forward to the UFC’s BJJ Open, a completely new event format.

According to Robert, it is the first time the UFC will host a full grappling tournament under the UFC BJJ branding.

While already featuring MMA through the UFC, the company has previously only showcased BJJ through professional single-match bouts.

“We’re going to run it. We were already planning to go to Phoenix anyway because we had been waiting for an IBJJF Phoenix Open,” Robert said. “The IBJJF didn’t schedule one this year, but UFC BJJ gives us that opportunity instead.”

Zackery will look to compete in six more IBJJF tournaments this season to help bolster his overall ranking.

A potential addition under consideration is a stop in Los Angeles, which would likely take place just before the Portland event, around July 10 or 11.

However, this inclusion is not yet final, and the overall schedule will be managed carefully to avoid back-to-back competitions.

“One of the toughest matches was at Grappling Industries. I won by points. It was my only match I didn’t finish by submission, but it was a great fight,” Zackery said. “I try to stay composed and adjust. If something doesn’t work, I shift.”

Contact Jacob Powers at jpowers@pvtimes.com. Follow @jaypowers__ on X, Instagram and Tiktok @Pvtimes.sports.