Ricardo Liborio founded American Top Team in 2001, alongside Dan Lambert and the Silveira brothers, Conan and Marcelo. Yet, the decorated grappler has announced he’s now no longer part of the team.

Liborio released a statement to MMA Fighting on Monday. His decision is not related to Colby Covington’s recent comments in Brazil, after his decision win over Demian Maia at UFC Sao Paulo, but he doesn’t condone his behavior.

Read Liborio's full statement below.

I feel that I must make a statement in light of the comments made by Colby Convigton along with the amount of messages sent to me from Brazil, the United States, and from all over the world. I'm here to state that I am no longer with American Top Team. I left the team approximately 3 months ago. Also, I absolutely do not condone any behavior that instigates hate, prejudice, or bullying of any kind. It upsets me to see the sport taking this direction of blatant disrespect. It’s unsportsmanlike, but it also fosters and promotes a culture of cruelty towards others. Combat sports should always represent the qualities of humility, empathy, and respect. I dedicated my life to the martial arts, and to the formation and growth of this team and I want the members of ATT to know that they will always be in my heart.

Covington called Sao Paulo a "dump" before and after beating Maia in Brazil, and went on to call Brazilians "filthy animals" after the UFC Sao Paulo co-main event. Covington, who trains at American Top Team in Florida, released a "formal apology" on his Twitter on Sunday.