In a recent podcast interview, elite jiu jitsu athlete Nick Rodriguez openly discussed the issue of PED use, in the sport of Brazilian jiu jitsu.
“The ster-ids are making people that are not gifted seem like their athletics seem like they’re incredibly strong when they’re just injecting themselves,” said Rodriguez on a podcast episode.
“I’m one of only a few guys that are, like, freak athletes in the sport. And as the sport gets more Americanized, they’re gonna be more intelligent and better athletes coming towards jujitsu, they don’t need ster-ids to have the strength, the speed, the athleticism, the mental acuity to to improve and and to compete.”
“So, you know, it’s like ster-ids are making people that are not gifted seem like they’re athletic, seem like they’re in like the the incredibly strong when they’re just f–king injecting themselves and and not necessarily putting the work, and then just do abusing ster-ids, getting stronger, and, you know, having benefits from it. But you know, I’m starting I’m starting to culture into anti PEDs.”
This is a curious statement from Rodriguez considering B team is sponsored by Evertitan HRT – a testosterone replacement clinic.
Rodriguez asserted that many top competitors have plateaued in skill and athleticism and are relying on PEDs to maintain an edge. Meanwhile, at just 25 years old and 5 years into his jiu jitsu career, Rodriguez believes he is still rapidly improving through natural training.
“I’m gonna continue to get better at a rapid rate. I’ve still have so much to learn and I’m already so much better than that,” said Rodriguez about top rivals who use PEDs.
Rather than give in to PED use to “keep up” like others in the sport, Rodriguez aims to lead by example, proving that world class skill can be achieved through hard work and raw talent alone.
If Rodriguez lives up to his confident words and dethrones legends known or rumored to use PEDs, he could inspire a culture shift in jiu jitsu. Rodriguez shows signs of being the prodigy to change the status quo. At just 20 years old, he took 2nd at the ADCC after only 14 months of jiu jitsu training.
In a different segment of the podcast, Rodriguez revealed he grew up riding dirt bikes and developing a passion for motocross. However, when he decided to dedicate himself fully to the grappling art, he knew he had to make sacrifices.
At just 20 years old, Rodriguez committed to intense daily training under the tutelage of legendary coach John Danaher in New York City. The problem? Rodriguez resided in southern New Jersey, requiring a commute of 2.5 to 5 hours each way based on traffic.
“I decided to start driving up there consistently every day. Like so sometimes 6 to 8 hour round trip,” explained Rodriguez on selling his beloved dirt bike to fund his jiu-jitsu dreams.
The costs piled up quickly between gas, tolls and daily parking fees, running Rodriguez over $100 per day by his estimates. Still determined, he drained his savings and sold off possessions – including his prized 2016 Yamaha YZ450 dirt bike.
“That was kind of a a sad point, you know, letting the bike go,” admitted Rodriguez. “But it’s all good. Everything happens for a reason. And I knew I knew in my heart that this is something I needed to do.”
And his sacrifices paid off in a big way. After just 14 months of focused training, Rodriguez took 2nd place at the prestigious ADCC Submission Fighting World Championships. This launched him into stardom and afforded him sponsorship deals to continue pursuing the sport full-time.
