# Nick Salles ("Tamandua")

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## Overview

**Name:** Nick Salles

**Nickname:** Tamandua

**Date of Birth:** September 28, 1995 (age 31)


## Bio

A lifelong competitor who never won a tournament until he found jiu-jitsu, Nick Salles turned a near-obsessive drive for technical precision into a black belt under Mikey Musumeci in November 2020. Starting with taekwondo and karate before transitioning to grappling at age 13, he wrestled through middle and high school while training under Jason Scully, Jon Heleotis, Kurt Pellegrino, and Bill Scott—the last of whom awarded his brown belt. After earning a Biology degree from Monmouth University, Salles joined the Marcelo Garcia Academy in Manhattan, then co-founded Movement Art in Philadelphia with Daniel Maira during the COVID-19 pandemic, where he became Musumeci’s training partner and student.

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**Last Updated:** September 24, 2026

**Data Source:** bjj.space (https://bjj.space/people/nick-salles)