Following a report by USADA and the IBJJF announcing that 19-year-old world champion Mica Galvão had failed an in-competition drug test, Galvão published an Instagram post addressing the issue.
According to an English translation of Galvão’s post, which was originally written in Portuguese, the 19-year-old wished to explain his side of the story. “My doctor used a prohibited substance [as part of my medical treatment],” he wrote. “My father and I have always tried to approach the best professionals to better my career and, unfortunately, this mistake took place.”
The teenager vows to “start from scratch” all over again, reminding his fans that he’s from the city of Manaus, where good opportunities are few and far between. “[Things] have never been easy for me, and they never will be,” he wrote, adding that fans could still look forward to seeing plenty of him on the mats in 2023 — though presumably outside of the IBJJF circuit, during the course of his one-year suspension from the organization.
To that end, according to Galvão, he will next appear in competition on BJJ Stars on April 22, which will be available for PPV.
