Felipe “Preguiça” Pena has voiced his support for testing measures in competitive BJJ, but with an important caveat: athletes need to be properly compensated before such expensive testing programs are implemented.
Speaking on the ConnectCast podcast, Pena addressed the ongoing debate about PED testing in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, particularly within the IBJJF (International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation) competition circuit.
“I think there’s no problem with d*ping testing,” Pena stated. “But, for example, as they told me, d*ping testing is very expensive. Make it well done is expensive.”
The multiple-time world champion emphasized that his concern isn’t with the concept of testing itself, but rather with the timing and priorities. He believes that before implementing costly testing programs, the sport should first ensure that its top athletes are adequately compensated for their efforts.
“Why don’t you first take that prize money and distribute it to the athletes here at the big events, which are the biggest stars of the event?” Pena questioned. “Do you understand? Don’t you think it’s fair to first take that money and distribute it to the athletes?”
Pena painted a stark picture of the current financial reality for even world champions in gi jiu-jitsu. Using the IBJJF World Championship as an example, he explained how the current prize structure makes it difficult for athletes to justify the investment required to compete at the highest level.
“Let’s say the first place gets 10,000,” Pena explained. “The athlete spends maybe 6,000 of that on camp, travel, food, supplementation, physiotherapy. Then you still have to pay taxes. You’re going to be a world champion, you’re going to be the best in the world in that sport. How much did you earn? You put it in your account and it’s maybe equivalent to 10,000 reais [$2,000 USD].”
This financial reality, according to Pena, makes additional expenses like comprehensive testing programs seem premature when athletes are already struggling to make ends meet despite achieving the sport’s highest honors.
The ADCC veteran’s position isn’t anti-testing, but rather pro-athlete welfare. He believes that once prize money reaches a level where athletes can genuinely make a living from competition, then implementing professional-grade testing measures would be appropriate.
“After you get to this level here and such, that it is well valued, that you pay the stars well, do this, sometimes the champion pays the ticket, pays the hotel, so you don’t need to pay, just put a little bonus up and such. And then, after reaching this level, beauty, no one will stop complaining about it,” Pena explained.
Pena‘s argument centers on the principle that professional standards should be accompanied by professional compensation. He pointed out that expensive, comprehensive testing programs are standard in major professional sports, but those sports also provide substantial financial rewards to their top performers.
“It’s the price that has to be paid and is part of professionalization,” he acknowledged. “But I think doing it before that, honestly, I don’t agree the way it is today.”
Felipe Pena has been sanctioned twice by the USADA following positive tests at IBJJF World Jiu‑Jitsu Championships. In his first violation, Peña tested positive for testosterone from a urine sample collected June 1, 2014, at the 2014 Worlds in Long Beach. He accepted a one-year suspension retroactive to that date after explaining he had unknowingly used a doctor‑prescribed testosterone cream and aided USADA’s investigation. His 2014 results, including the World title, were disqualified . Peña’s second violation occurred following a December 12, 2021 sample from the 2021 IBJJF Worlds, which showed the presence of clomiphene, a hormone modulator. Again, he accepted a reduced one-year ban beginning January 7, 2022, after providing evidence it was taken for health reasons—not performance enhancement—and lost all results from that date. Between his two violations—first for anabolic agents (testosterone) and then for a hormone-modulating agent (clomiphene)—Peña has received two separate one-year USADA suspensions, both tied to World Championship competitions.
Despite his critique, Pena was careful to express gratitude toward the IBJJF and its contributions to the sport’s growth.
“Once again, if this interview were to come out, I think everyone has to be very grateful to the federation, the work they do is exceptional, it’s not easy to coordinate a championship worldwide,” he said.
He emphasized that his comments aren’t meant as criticism but as constructive feedback aimed at improving the sport he loves.
“I don’t say that to criticize anyone. I simply say it’s my opinion for the good of the Gi sport.”
Pena‘s comments reflect broader concerns about the sustainability of professional jiu-jitsu careers, particularly in the gi division. As no-gi competitions continue to offer larger purses and more lucrative opportunities, many top athletes are shifting their focus away from traditional gi competition.
His suggestion represents a potential path forward: prioritize athlete compensation first, then implement the professional standards that elevated pay grades would justify. This approach could help retain top talent in gi competition while maintaining the sport’s integrity through appropriate testing when the financial foundation supports it.
For Felipe Pena, the message is clear: if jiu-jitsu wants to operate with the professional standards of major sports, it needs to first provide the professional compensation that makes such standards reasonable and sustainable for the athletes who make the sport possible.
