A BJJ gym owner has come forward with serious claims about why he decided to remove Melqui Galvao and his team from his academy, pointing to what he describes as troubling evidence related to performance-enhancing drugs.

Speaking on Musumeci’s Overdogs Podcast, Hector Vasquez detailed his past relationship with Galvao, explaining that the Brazilian coach and his athletes were once welcomed into his Las Vegas facility during their early time in the United States.

Vasquez said that despite arriving after a falling out elsewhere, Galvao’s group was given full support.

“Everybody’s welcome. I have a room upstairs. You guys could stay there. I’m gonna pay for your food. I’m gonna take care of you because you guys come and you’re trying to fulfill a dream.”

The group, which included Mica Galvao and Diogo Reis among others, lived and trained at the facility while Vasquez covered many of their expenses, including travel and competition costs.

“I was paying for their travel. I was paying for the tournaments, to get them out there.”

However, over time, Vasquez said he began to notice things that raised concerns.

Suspicion started building as he observed the rapid physical development of some of the younger athletes, which he found difficult to explain.

“How would you know how you compete at 118 lbs (53.5 kg) or 115 lbs (52.2 kg) and end up in two, three months being 130 lbs (59 kg)? And I was training too and I can’t gain that weight like that. And the weight is muscle. It’s not normal for a 13, 14-year-old kid.”

He also described an incident during training that added to his concerns.

“He started getting a little sick and I asked Melqui what’s going on and, ‘Oh no, he’s fine, he’s fine.’ But you could see that when he was like, his breathing was not matching the body.”

According to Vasquez, the situation escalated after the athletes eventually moved out of the gym’s upstairs living space. What was discovered afterward became the turning point.

“When the cleaning lady went up there, she found some stuff that confirmed what was going on.”

Vasquez claims that evidence found in the apartment, along with security camera footage, reinforced his suspicions.

“I have video cameras everywhere. I have all those pictures with me. I didn’t want to say anything because it wasn’t my position.”

He said he ultimately sought legal advice before making a final decision.

“I sent those pictures to the lawyer and he thought, ‘Hey, you know what, the best thing to do is get them out of there because that’s going to ruin yourself.’ And that’s why they got kicked out of the gym.”

While Vasquez acknowledged that he did not personally witness everything directly, he believes the available evidence was enough to draw a clear conclusion.

“If you tell me, Hector, did you see it personally? No, I did not see it. But I see that in the trash can. One plus one equals two, my friend. I can prove that it was being used. And that’s why they got kicked out.”

Melqui Galvão is widely known in the sport as one of the most successful developers of young talent. He has built a reputation for producing elite competitors on the international stage and has been a central figure in the rise of a new generation of athletes.

Among the most prominent of these athletes is his son, Mica Galvão, who is considered one of the top competitors in modern Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Mica Galvão has won major titles including world championships and has established himself as a dominant force across multiple organizations with an aggressive and submission-oriented style.

His career, however, has also included controversy. Earlier in his rise, Mica Galvão tested positive for a banned substance under anti-doping regulations. The case generated significant discussion within the community, particularly due to his young age at the time. Questions were raised about the possibility of supplement contamination versus intentional use. He served a suspension and later returned to high-level competition, continuing his ascent in the sport.

The claims have not been independently verified, and no official findings or sanctions related to these allegations have been confirmed. However, the statements add to ongoing conversations within the grappling community regarding PED use and athlete development, particularly among younger competitors.

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