Michelle Nicolini, a renowned BJJ competitor, recently expressed her view on the lack of punishments that athletes face when they fail PED tests. This isn’t new either, as it’s well-known that the IBJJF is the only BJJ organization that actually tests its competitors. Nicolini’s credibility in making this public statement is indisputable; with 8 IBJJF world championship gold medals, 2 IBJJF no gi world championships gold medals, and an ADCC world championship in her illustrious career, she’s still an elite athlete today.

What lead to her addressing PEDs use in Jiu-Jitsu isn’t confirmed, though there have been a lot of questions regarding the fact that only one organization has punishments in place for failed tests. Furthermore, even when athletes are caught by the IBJJF they’re often still booked to compete at other events while serving their suspensions. An example of this can be seen with Roberto ‘Cyborg’ Abreu; he was amongst five men who got three-year bans following doping tests after the 2022 no gi world championships yet he was still booked to take part in BJJ Stars 10 absolute grand prix with prize money up to $40,000.

Michelle Nicolini brought attention to this issue on her official Instagram account when she openly shared her views on the insufficient punishment given to those who fail PEDs tests.

The original statement is in Portuguese, translated here:

“If the athlete is caught in doping… should he or shouldn’t he be suspended in all organizations? If only one organization punishes and others turn a blind eye to what happened and still treat him as a “star” in another event, I think this athlete will not be polite. In my time being caught in doping meant losing contracts, titles, getting suspended and embarrassing others.”

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