ADCC Trials four-time champion Paul Ardila addressed recent accusations of PED use with amusement following his historic fourth trials victory.
“I did see that some people were saying that I was taking ster*ids and adderall and possibly other dr*gs which I thought was pretty funny,” Ardila said during an appearance on The Grappling Hour podcast.
In a another podcast, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes and attorneys Sergio and Paul Ardila criticized the rampant PED use in competitive grappling, arguing that current testing measures are ineffective. They propose long-term bans—up to 10 years—for offenders as a true deterrent. Citing firsthand experiences, they highlighted alarming physiological effects and even referenced an ultra-heavyweight competitor’s death, possibly linked to ster*id abuse. They condemned organizations like ADCC for neglecting athlete welfare, prioritizing spectacle over safety. Their solution involves rigorous random testing and severe penalties to shift the culture away from PED reliance and toward fair, health-conscious competition.
The accomplished grappler acknowledged why some might make such assumptions, noting “I can’t blame them because our sport just happens to be like you know, it’s just dirty like a lot of people use ster*ids.”
Ardila, who maintains a successful law career alongside his competition schedule, suggested his muscular physique likely contributes to the speculation: “I guess my physique I’m pretty muscular so I guess you know it does make sense maybe why they’re doing that.”
When discussing opponents he’s faced who have used PEDs, Ardila was diplomatic, declining to name names but confirming he has competed against enhanced athletes throughout his career. “I know definitely some competitors that I’ve gone against do use ste*oids or maybe like TRT or different sort of things,” he said.
Rather than being bothered by the accusations, Ardila maintains his focus is on inspiring others through his achievements. “I’m just happy that I can inspire other people to maybe try to accomplish the same thing,” he said.
