Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has spent years growing into a global, professional sport. With that growth came something the community long avoided: structured anti-doping testing. Once the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) partnered with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), the results started to surface—and they confirmed what many athletes had quietly suspected for years. Positive tests, suspensions, and anti-doping rule violations began appearing across multiple divisions, including at the very highest levels of competition.

This is no longer about isolated incidents. Over time, patterns have emerged. Certain teams—often the biggest, most successful, and most represented at major events—appear repeatedly in anti-doping cases. That does not automatically imply systemic wrongdoing, but it does raise legitimate questions. Which teams show up the most? Are repeat violations affecting team reputations? And what does this say about the current state of the sport?

Below is a ranking of teams based on confirmed positive tests and anti-doping rule violations.

1. Fight Sports — 5 athletes

• Roberto Abreu (Cyborg)
  Violation: Testosterone-related anti-doping issue (TRT-related)
  Outcome: Suspension
• André Porfirio
  Violation: Evading sample collection
  Outcome: Four-year ban
• Roosevelt Sousa
  Violation: Anti-doping rule violation
  Outcome: Multi-year suspension
• Vagner Rocha
  Violation: Anti-doping rule violation
  Outcome: Suspension
• Micael Galvão
  Substance: Clomiphene
  Outcome: One-year suspension
  Note: Competed under Melqui Galvão at the time of sanction, but previously associated with Fight Sports

2. Alliance — 4 athletes

• Leonardo Nogueira
  Substance: Clomiphene
  Outcome: Suspension
• Tayane Porfirio
  Substance: Ostarine
  Outcome: Four-year suspension
• Fellipe Andrew
  Violation: Anti-doping rule violation
  Outcome: Suspension
• Gabi Garcia
  Substance: Clomiphene
  Outcome: No suspension, results affected

3. Gracie Barra — 3 violations

• Felipe Pena
  Substance: Testosterone
  Outcome: Suspension
• Felipe Pena (second violation)
  Violation: Anti-doping rule violation
  Outcome: Suspension
• Braulio Estima
  Violation: Anti-doping rule violation
  Outcome: Suspension

4. Atos — 2 athletes

• Kaynan Duarte
  Substance: Ostarine
  Outcome: Suspension
• Jonnatas Gracie
  Violation: Anti-doping rule violation
  Outcome: Suspension

5. Cicero Costha / PSLPB — 2 athletes

• Paulo Miyao
  Substance: Clomiphene
  Outcome: Suspension
• Francisco Lo
  Violation: Anti-doping rule violation
  Outcome: Multi-year suspension
  Note: Team affiliation at the time of sanction has been publicly debated

Other Teams — 1 athlete each

• Pedro Pimenta — GF Team
  Violation: Anti-doping rule violation
• Yatan Bueno — Dream Art
  Violation: Anti-doping rule violation
• Cassio Costa — Six Blades
  Violation: Anti-doping rule violation

What This Means for the Sport

The presence of anti-doping violations across multiple top teams suggests that this is not an issue limited to a single academy or organization. Instead, it reflects a broader challenge within competitive Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

At the same time, context matters. Testing is not evenly distributed. Athletes competing at the highest levels—World Championships, Pans, No-Gi Worlds—are far more likely to be tested. Naturally, teams with more elite competitors will appear more frequently in sanction lists.

Even so, the data reveals a clear trend:

Anti-doping violations are not rare. They are part of the current competitive landscape.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is in a transitional phase. The introduction of anti-doping testing has brought transparency—but also uncomfortable truths.

The sport is no longer operating in the shadows when it comes to performance-enhancing drugs. With more testing will come more cases, and with more cases will come more scrutiny.

The real question is not which team appears most on a list.

The real question is whether the sport as a whole is ready to confront the issue head-on.

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