The IBJJF confirmed this week in a statement that Mica Galvão had failed an anti-doping test made during the IBJJF World Championships last year.
According to the release, the USADA has determined Mica’s positive test was caused by clomiphene, a prohibited substance and after investigation, by a prescription drug under the care of a physician. And although the substance was taken medically, they should have asked for an exemption for therapeutic use, which was not.
Clomiphene is used to induce ovulation (egg production) in women who do not produce ova (eggs) but wish to become pregnant (infertility). Clomiphene is in a class of medications called ovulatory stimulants. It works similarly to estrogen, a female hormone that causes eggs to develop in the ovaries and be released.
Melqui Galvao, Mica’s father and coach released a statement on IG, explaining that his 19 year old son had low testosterone and that they used medication to attempt to raise his levels:
“Mica took his first full exam in 2021 through partnership with an American clinic.
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At his first exam done on 13/05/21 it was detected that he had 228.92 testosterone
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Value below the minimum for an average man which is 300.
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On 09/22/21 with four months of treatment he evolved to 292.89 testosterone
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By medical guidance, he started using clomiphene with the aim of reversing this picture that did not change and reached 380.11 on 22/03/22 and it was for this use that he was caught. If a professional says this is the treatment, how could I argue with him if I was not technically trained to do this?
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We fulfilled our 2022 agenda and then Mica stayed four months without competing and without intense training (October to January) took a vacation with his girlfriend and to our surprise he arrived without using anything at 630 testosterone on 10/01/23 and this is the testosterone he has today.
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Mica went through a series of exams in the best center in Brazil. It has been detected that Mica’s low testosterone came from stress, the hard work of training that I underwent him and the excess commitments that his manager arranged arriving at a high-level competition per week.
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Tests done on him for nearly two years prove that at no point did he have testosterone to lead him to the upper hand. For those who think that his test is low is the result of a post cycle I ask the following question: if he is used to cycling because in 2021 he did not use test to regulate hormones since he would not be tested that year?
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I exploited my son to the fullest and now I regret doing it to him. My goal was for him to bring results and benefit everyone around him but we never cheated.
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Mica’s low test never stopped him from winning. He beat the top athletes in his category by running below what he could spin. But his low testicle was affecting his mental health and self esteem and I’m happy to see him doing well. All tests and the truth is out there. Interpret it however you wish I have a lot to say but this is the last post on the subject.”
Dr Rehan Muttalib is a high level BJJ black belt & active competitor (multiple times IBJJF champion at all belt levels). As a practicing medical doctor, he shared his views on the Mica Galvao case on his facebook stories:
Let’s me clarify this from the point of view of an ethical doctor because I don’t think the Jiu-Jitsu community realises the full extent of this situation. I’m not coming at Mica. It’s not his fault. He’s still just a kid. It’s more the people around him. If Mica and his father had walked into my office, and told me that he had taken steroids from a young age and that his testosterone was low and they needed Clomid to start back his testosterone production, the answer would be No. This is much worse than Cyborg and Vagner Rocha as grown men taking steroids to compete at the elite level. This is a kid. This means that he was probably already was taking steroids at 15 or 16. This is pretty much child abuse.
PED expert, Derek from the popular Youtube channel more plates more dates analyzed exposed the truth behind the Mica Galvao case. Derek has been critical of Ped in BJJ such a s Gordon or Felipe Pena:
“What is the likelihood that a doctor would prescribe Clomid or Clomiphene to a 18 or 19 year old? Extremely low…”
“A lot of guys will take Clomid when they are the end of their PED cycle.”
Mica Galvao issued a statement and blamed his doctor:
“Y’all already know the news and I want to explain my side now. My doctor used a banned substance in my treatment. My father and I have always tried to get closer to the best professionals to help my career and unfortunately that mistake happened and I assume.
This is for my fans, the people who have admired my work and my career since new. My sincere apologies, I’m also pissed about this situation.
I am starting from scratch again, it never been easy for me and it never will be. I come from Manaus where opportunities are few Fought the hard way to get where im at. I don’t mind walking all the way to the top again, my journey doesn’t end here, it’s only just begun. You will see me a lot of times on tatame in 2023.
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Galvao, who became the youngest-ever IBJJF World Champion in 2022, has now been stripped of that title, which will awarded to the lightweight silver medalist, Tye Ruotolo.
Ruotolo now becomes the youngest IBJJF world champion in history.
Galvao’s one-year suspension began on July 22 which means that he will be eligible to return to IBJJF competition in late July this year, after the 2023 IBJJF World Championships.
Up to recently, Mica Galvao was representing Roberto Cyborg Abreu’s Fightsports Academy which was involved in two big doping violations with its leaders Robert Cyborg and Vagner Rocha were suspended for PEDS .
News came out in March 2023 from USADA, as five elite BJJ athletes suffered 3-year suspensions from competing – as a result of testing during and after 2022 No-Gi World Championships.
The news were first delivered by FloGrappling, which stated that Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu, Vagner Rocha, Jose Henrique Cardoso, Jonnatas Gracie, and Igor Feliz have all been suspended.
Here’s the case what happened with Cyborg:
Tested positive for exogenous testosterone and its metabolites as the result of an out-of-competition urine sample collected on December 20, 2022.
He accepted a three-year period of ineligibility that began on January 27, 2023, the date he was provisionally suspended from competition.
The official statement is below:
USADA announced today that Micael Galvão, of São Paulo, Brazil, an athlete in the sport of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, has accepted a one-year suspension for an anti-doping rule violation.
Galvão, 19, tested positive for clomiphene and its metabolite 4-hydroxyclomiphene as the result of an in-competition drug test conducted at the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) World Jiu-Jitsu Championships on June 5, 2022. Although the IBJJF is not a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code (the Code), USADA was contracted by IBJJF to conduct testing for the event and collected and analyzed Galvão’s sample in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Agency’s International Standards.
Clomiphene is a Specified Substance in the class of Hormone and Metabolic Modulators and is prohibited at all times under the Code and the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing, which applied with slight modifications, to the 2022 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships.
After a thorough review of the case, including the examination of medical records provided by the athlete, USADA determined that Galvão’s positive test was caused by a medication prescribed in a therapeutic dose under the care of a physician. Although the substance was taken at the direction of a physician, the Code requires that athletes obtain a TUE before using a prohibited substance, which Galvão failed to do.
Galvão’s one-year period of ineligibility began on July 22, 2022, the date his provisional suspension was imposed. In addition, Galvão has been disqualified from all competitive results achieved in competitions sanctioned by the IBJJF, or any Code signatory, on and subsequent to June 5, 2022, the date his positive sample was collected, including forfeiture of any medals, points, and prizes. IBJJF has agreed to impose the sanction.
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