For years, Roger Gracie was the person others measured themselves against. He dominated jiu-jitsu at every level, claiming the ADCC championship in no-gi and becoming ONE FC’s light heavyweight titleholder in MMA. His professional record across Strikeforce, the UFC, and ONE FC stands at 8 wins and 2 losses, with his last competitive appearance coming in 2017.
That background makes his latest disclosure all the more surprising. Gracie has gone public about starting testosterone replacement therapy, or TRT, after two years of declining health that he could not turn around on his own.
The timing invites scrutiny, and Gracie’s critics will not ignore it. In 2024, when a journalist pressed him on the state of PED testing in major competitions, specifically that only the IBJJF World Championship winner receives USADA testing while ADCC conducts no testing at all, he did not hedge.
“You can’t be in favor of anabolic athletes, you know, being in favor of anabolic athletes, fig hting against someone who doesn’t take anything, it’s a huge disadvantage. You can’t say you’re in favor, obviously, it’s a disadvantage,” he said.
He pressed the point further, describing the physical gap that PED use creates between competitors.
“If you compete against someone with anabolic, the guy is benefiting from something that doesn’t matter how often you train, it creates an inequality. What can you do? The guys are big.”
He was deliberate about not naming individuals, but the language carried an unmistakable undercurrent of personal observation, particularly given that his own 2017 appearance had drawn speculation, never confirmed, after back acne became visible during his final MMA bout.
“I don’t want to get into controversy, I won’t point my finger at anyone, everyone does what they want with their lives, but I’ll tell you, the guys are big. I don’t remember competing against a guy this big, but anyway, each to his own. That’s it.”
Two years of unexplained decline eventually changed the calculation for Gracie. In a recent video, he described what that period was actually like.
“For the past two years, my energy level was quite low, like much lower than normally. And I had brain fog every once in a while. And, you know, after trying everything, naturally I stopped.”
He had been treating his symptoms through natural approaches before consulting a doctor. Just over three months into treatment, Gracie says the shift has been real and measurable.
“My life is very different now. My energy levels are really good. My mental clarity is amazing. And you know, people at the Men’s Health Clinic, they help you every step of the way. Regular blood tests and follow-ups. So they’re doing an amazing job.”
Gracie closed with a direct appeal to men who may recognize what he went through but have not yet acted on it.
“So you feel, you know, especially feel over 40. You know, if your hormone levels are low, if you ever thought about, you know, doing something about it, you should definitely check with them.”
