USADA announced yesterday that 2024 No-Gi World Champion Cassio Felipe Sousa Costa has accepted a one-year suspension following a positive test. As a result, Costa has been stripped of his world title and faces a period of ineligibility from competition.
Positive Test at World Championships
Costa, a 25-year-old athlete from Austin, Texas, tested positive for clomiphene following an in-competition test conducted at the 2024 World International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship on December 14, 2024. Clomiphene is classified as a Hormone and Metabolic Modulator and is prohibited at all times under the WADA Code.
USADA, which was contracted by the IBJJF to handle the testing for the championship event, collected and analyzed Costa’s sample according to WADA International Standards.
Prescribed Medication but No Exemption
According to USADA’s investigation, Costa’s positive test resulted from medication prescribed for therapeutic purposes under physician care. However, the athlete failed to obtain the required Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) before using clomiphene, which is mandatory under the Code regardless of the medical necessity of the treatment.
Sanctions and Disqualification
Costa’s one-year period of ineligibility officially began on December 30, 2024, when his provisional suspension was first imposed. Beyond the suspension, all of Costa’s competitive results obtained in IBJJF-sanctioned competitions or events sanctioned by any World Anti-Doping Code signatory on or after December 14, 2024, have been disqualified.
The disqualification includes the forfeiture of his world championship title, along with any medals, points, and prizes earned during this period.
