Five-time IBJJF black belt world champion Mikey Musumeci posted a message to his Instagram story this week alleging that steroid use among young competitors is a hidden but common route to becoming a black belt world champion in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
In the post, Musumeci described what he called the “current path to becoming a black belt world champion that no one will tell you.” He wrote that some competitors begin using steroids at a young age, spend years building extra muscle and strength, and retain those physical gains over time. According to the post, this can leave certain athletes two to three weight classes stronger than their opponents. Musumeci said some competitors then cycle off long enough to pass drug testing at events such as the IBJJF World Championship, in some cases with a doctor’s assistance. He added that even athletes who stop using steroids, or switch to lower doses later in their careers, have already been significantly altered by years of earlier use. The post ended with a comment suggesting many of these athletes “look the same,” accompanied by a laughing emoji.
Musumeci did not name any specific athletes, academies, or competitions in the post, which is likely due to legal reasons rather than him not actually believing what he said was true.
The statement is consistent with positions Musumeci has taken publicly in the past. He has said he will submit to a drug test every other month to demonstrate that he competes without performance-enhancing drugs in response to claiming 99% of BJJ athletes are on steroids. In making that announcement,he said that while testing in jiu-jitsu has increased because of organizations including ONE Championship, IBJJF, and Polaris, most tested athletes are able to beat those tests by cycling off drugs with a doctor’s help three to four weeks before competing.
Musumeci has also linked the presence of steroids in the sport to his own competitive development. He has said that not having a strength advantage pushed him to study jiu-jitsu more closely and rely on technical variations rather than physical force, in contrast to some world champions who, in his account, relied on strength to hold positions. Speaking separately around the time of his UFC signing, Musumeci said that open steroid use has prevented jiu-jitsu from functioning as a fully professional sport with consistent ethical standards.
The comments have drawn public disagreement from other competitors. Gordon Ryan, a prominent no-gi grappling champion, has previously responded to Musumeci’s criticism of PED use. Ryan said that steroids are legal in nearly every grappling competition apart from specific IBJJF events, arguing that using them therefore does not constitute cheating, and characterized Musumeci’s position as an excuse rather than a legitimate objection.
A freelance journalist with more than seven years of experience covering a wide range of topics, with a focus on delivering accurate, engaging, and well-researched reporting. He studied at the University of Birmingham, where he developed a strong foundation in journalism and communications. Martin is a 10th Planet BJJ brown belt and has been training for approximately 10 years and a keen follower of submission grappling.
