Megaton Dias opens Mat Stories, Kingz and VF Comunica series

In 1996, when the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship held its first edition in Rio de Janeiro, Wellington “Megaton” Dias entered the adult black belt division and left with a silver medal. He came back the next year, and the year after that, and became known as the only black belt to compete at every edition of the tournament. In 2025, already a coral belt, he signed up for the adult division once again, with a first match set against Andy Murasaki.

That journey opens Mat Stories, a Kingz series created to preserve the stories of Jiu-Jitsu’s great champions, especially those who paved the way for the sport to become what it is today. The project is a partnership with VF Comunica. Journalist Vitor Freitas interviewed, directed and filmed the episode “Mat Stories: Megaton Dias,” working alongside the Kingz creative team and creative directors Beatriz Lina and Gabriel Mendes. The episode came out in early September, during Master Worlds week, on the Kingz YouTube channel.

Where the Megaton nickname came from

The conversation goes back to the beginning, including where the nickname came from. In judo, under coach Rogério Camões, Megaton threw his training partners so hard that his coach started calling him by the name of a bomb. On the same mat trained a neighbor he used to surf with, Royler Gracie, who invited him to Gracie Humaitá. In 1985, at 18, Megaton received his black belt from Royler.

A Jiu-Jitsu pioneer in Arizona

Years later, his story moved to another country. Megaton moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where he opened the state’s first Jiu-Jitsu academy. As the sport grew in the region, he founded the Arizona Jiu-Jitsu Federation, which he still leads. Phoenix is also where his daughter, Mackenzie Dern, grew up.

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In the episode, Megaton talks about the generations he has seen come and go and what still drives him to step on the mats and compete. According to Kingz, some of the best things he shared had little to do with winning or losing and a lot to do with life.

Advice that opened doors

The release showed how much his story means to the community. Names like Renzo Gracie and André Galvão celebrated the episode on Kingz’s social media. Jorge Britto recalled advice he heard from Megaton as a teenager, during a World Championship training camp in Brazil: “Learn how to teach, and learn how to speak English.” He said those words opened many doors throughout his life.

Kingz’s project to preserve Jiu-Jitsu history

“The idea was to go beyond titles and results and show how he got here, what shaped his journey, and why he became such an important figure in the sport,” Vitor Freitas said. “Megaton is an inspiration not only because of his career, but also because of his energy, joy, and positive approach to life.”

For Kingz, the series gives shape to a long-standing care for the sport’s memory. “In partnership with VF Comunica, we’re bringing to life the iconic stories of the people who have helped shape Jiu-Jitsu into what it is today,” the brand said when it announced the project. Founded in 2011 in a basement in Winnipeg, Canada, and based in San Diego since 2014, Kingz says it chose to invest in events and athletes before advertising, and it already honored Leandro Lo with its Legends Never Die line. The first episode also connects two people from the same school: Kingz CEO Bruno Munduruca is a Gracie Humaitá black belt, the academy that produced Megaton.

Vitor is already thinking about the next chapters. “Jiu-Jitsu has so many stories that deserve to be told, and Megaton was the perfect way to start. This is just the beginning,” he said.

Watch the full episode

The episode is available on the Kingz YouTube channel.

Which Jiu-Jitsu legend would you like to see in the next Mat Stories episode? Leave your suggestion in the comments.

Read also

• Megaton Dias says he has faced every generation of Jiu-Jitsu
• Megaton Dias: “I hated training with Rickson Gracie”
• Megaton Dias wants a place in the Jiu-Jitsu Hall of Fame