In a revealing interview on the Connect Cast podcast, former UFC star and current UFC BJJ executive Claudia Gadelha outlined how the promotion’s testing policy will determine which athletes are eligible to compete including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu standout Gordon Ryan.
“Yes, (testing) will come in because we want to professionalize the sport. So, it’s the best in the world against the best, right? The best in the world against the best in the clean world. It’s not the most d*ped, no. No longer d*ped. And Gordon will never compete in UFC BJJ. If you’re d*ped, you won’t compete. So without d*pe, there is no Gordon. ”
“I say this because he says so himself; he refuses to not use (PEDs) because he thinks it is part of an athlete’s package. It’s his philosophy. He is very transparent about this. “
When asked directly about Gordon Ryan‘s potential participation, Gadelha was unequivocal:
“If he is (on PEDs) he does not compete.”
She referenced Ryan‘s own public statements about use, noting his transparency about viewing PEDs as “part of the package of an athlete.”
The stance represents a significant departure from other major grappling events. Gadelha emphasized that UFC BJJ wants to maintain high standards and credibility for its events signaling a commitment to clean competition.
This is hilarious considering they tried to get Ryan on the show and there’s no testing in place at the moment. Another thing to note is that even the UFC is steering away from the rigorous independant testing having hired DFSI instead of USADA and basically self supervising their own testing program. This is a clear conflict of interest. You might notice there are no high profile testing failures lately and this is in no way a coincidence.
Gadelha made claims their new policy will allow flexibility for legitimate medical needs including testosterone replacement therapy for athletes with documented health issues and recovery peptides for injury rehabilitation.
“The issue of recovery all the peptides that are being used today like for the elbow… For tissue recovery it is necessary,”
she explained referencing her own physical struggles since retiring from competition.
The testing policy is part of UFC BJJ’s broader strategy to become the premier grappling organization similar to how UFC consolidated MMA talent. Gadelha drew parallels to MMA’s evolution when multiple organizations like Pride WEC and Strikeforce eventually gave way to UFC’s dominance.
“We believe that we will reach this stage in Jiu-Jitsu,”
she stated confidently.
The promotion’s approach extends beyond testing. Gadelha detailed their comprehensive athlete development program which includes:
- Access to the UFC Performance Institute
- Marketing support worth potentially tens of thousands of dollars
- Strategic positioning and cross-promotion opportunities
- Complete medical and psychological support
“A commercial of 15 seconds that we show the athlete at UFC BJJ we can sell that for $65,000. It’s for your brand,”
she explained emphasizing how the organization invests heavily in building athlete profiles.
This is wildly out there as a claims considering UFC BJJ’s complete lack of ability to convert fans even to free followers online.
One concern raised during the interview was whether exclusive contracts might prevent dream matchups between top athletes signed to different organizations. Gadelha acknowledged this challenge but framed their exclusivity deals as necessary investments rather than ego-driven decisions.
“When you sign a contract with us we invest a lot in you… our goal now is to make you a star,”
she said highlighting the organization’s focus on athlete marketing and brand-building.
