Kaynan Duarte and Nick Rodriguez have met twice on record, and the series sits at 1-1. Their first meeting came in the final of the 2019 ADCC World Championships, where Duarte took the win on points. Rodriguez evened things up years later at WNO 27 in 2025, winning by decision. Neither match ended in a submission, which fits two heavyweights who are hard to finish.

The styles behind the rivalry are distinct. Duarte comes from a full jiu-jitsu development under André Galvão at Atos Jiu-Jitsu Academy, and his record is deep at 153 recorded matches with a win rate of 85%. Rodriguez came to grappling from a college wrestling background and built his game around pressure and control, with 70 recorded matches and a 71% win rate. His submission rate on wins is 48%, higher than Duarte's 37%, though both share the same go-to finish.

Both men favor the Rear Naked Choke, with Duarte landing it for 10 of his wins and Rodriguez for 16 of his. When they faced each other, neither could impose that finish, and the two meetings came down to scoring and judging instead. That is the shape of the rivalry so far: close, decided on margins, and still level.