Roosevelt Sousa accepts three-year suspension after test at the 2025 No-Gi Worlds
USADA test found meldonium; the sanction was cut by one year because he admitted the violation
Roosevelt Sousa accepted a three-year suspension for an anti-doping rule violation, USADA announced on April 15, 2026. The 33-year-old black belt tested positive for meldonium in an in-competition test at the IBJJF No-Gi World Championship on December 13, 2025.
Meldonium is a hormone and metabolic modulator, banned at all times under the World Anti-Doping Code and the USADA protocol applied to the tournament.
The applicable sanction was four years. Under Article 10.8.1 of the World Anti-Doping Code, an athlete who admits the violation and accepts the sanction within 20 days of being notified is entitled to a one-year reduction, and Sousa qualified for it.
The suspension started counting on January 13, 2026, the date of his provisional suspension. His results since December 13, 2025, the day the sample was collected, were disqualified, with forfeiture of medals, points and prizes.
USADA was contracted by the IBJJF to run testing at the tournament. The details are in the statement published by the agency.
