Murilo Bustamante, one of the sport’s most respected veterans and a man who represented jiu-jitsu in the early cross-style challenge matches of the 1990s, is speaking candidly about a problem he sees spreading through the sport at every level: steroid use.
In a recent appearance on the Fighters Advice podcast, Bustamante didn’t hold back. Reflecting on how competitive jiu-jitsu has changed since his own era, he pointed to a shift in priorities among modern athletes, one where winning has started to matter more than how it’s achieved.
“Some people, they just concerned about win anyway, so they do everything to win, including cheats,” Bustamante said. “So they cheating, taking steroids. You see teenagers, you see blue belts, you see a lot of black belts taking steroids. It’s not a good example.”
Bustamante made clear this isn’t a fringe issue confined to the sport’s elite competitors chasing titles and prize money. According to him, the problem stretches across belt levels and age groups, from teenagers still early in their development to decorated black belts who should know better. That breadth is what troubles him most: young, impressionable competitors watching senior athletes cut corners and learning that cheating is simply part of competing at a high level.
He also pushed back on the idea that steroid use is a private decision with only personal consequences. For Bustamante, the risk goes beyond fairness in competition and into genuine physical danger. “Steroids can kill, you know. You can see sometimes guys passing away because they took a lot of steroids. They have heart problems.” He singled out therapeutic use exemptions, or TRT, as another loophole he views as a form of cheating dressed up in medical language, one he suggested is being used by athletes far younger than the population TRT was originally intended for.
Despite competing in an era where he says he was aware of rivals using steroids, Bustamante maintains that he never compromised his own approach. “I was there fighting the best I could. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose, but I stick with this, the discipline and the respect for the sport,” he said. He credited that discipline with shaping who he became after competition, saying it’s what allows him to speak on the subject of ethics in the sport with a clear conscience today.
Bustamante’s comments land at a moment when steroid use in grappling has become an increasingly public conversation, with fans and competitors alike raising questions about physique changes, testing gaps, and the culture around performance-enhancing drugs in both gi and no-gi competition. Coming from a competitor with Bustamante’s history and standing in the sport, his remarks add a heavyweight voice to a debate that shows no sign of slowing down.
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.
