It is with much sadness that I announce my decision to accept a two-year period of ineligibility as a sanction for an anti-doping violation.

As my wonderful and loyal supporters will recall, at this year’s World Championships held in June, I did not fight beyond the semi-finals, as I won the title by agreement with my friend and fellow teammate Romulo Barral.

Regrettably, after the semi-final match, knowing that I had finished competing, unfortunately I let my guard down and stopped being careful about what I was eating and drinking. I drank from others’ beverages and had snacks without looking at and taking care of the ingredients – inexcusable behavior for an athlete, even at the end of competition. Unfortunately, something that I ingested that day must have contained the prohibited stimulant Methylhexaneamine, for which I tested positive a short time later. It should be noted that Methylhexanemine is non anabolic and non steroidal but is listed as prohibited with the USADA and therefore as Athletes we need to be fully aware and paying attention of what we are eating and drinking.

I have done everything I can to assist the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) with its investigation. Because I cannot pinpoint the exact source of the prohibited substance, however, nor explain precisely how I ingested it, I have no choice but to accept the standard two-year sanction.

This experience has been a wake-up call to me and I dearly hope it serves as a lesson to my fellow competitors. We as athletes must bear full responsibility for any and all substances found in our bodies and we must be ever vigilant about safeguarding ourselves from even accidental contamination, particularly in the midst of competition. I apologize sincerely for this mistake and vow that it will never happen again. I will without any doubt continue to participate and compete in jiu jitsu with a greater awareness.

I would like to thank my family, friends, fans and sponsors for their unflappable and ongoing support during this difficult and frustrating time.

Braulio Estima

Issue 23, with cover star Rickson Gracie, is AVAILABLE NOW! See what’s inside HERE.