BJJ World Champion Renato Canuto Suspended After Positive Test for Focus-Enhancing PED

The grappling and MMA community was caught off guard this week after Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion Renato Canuto was suspended following a failed drug test connected to his recent appearance under the Tuff-N-Uff promotion. The positive test came shortly after Canuto’s dominant win on March 13 at Tuff-N-Uff 152 in Las Vegas, where he stopped […]

The post BJJ World Champion Renato Canuto Suspended After Positive Test for Focus-Enhancing PED appeared first on Bjj Eastern Europe.

BJJ World Champion Renato Canuto has been handed a 10-month suspension by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) following a positive test for a prohibited substance. The multiple-time champion tested positive for Methylphenidate, a stimulant commonly used to treat ADHD, during the 2023 IBJJF World Championship. This news marks a significant development for one of the sport's prominent figures.\n\nThe suspension, which began on July 20, 2023, also entails the disqualification of all Canuto's competitive results achieved from June 4, 2023, onwards. This includes his third-place finish at the 2023 IBJJF World Championship, where the positive test occurred. Methylphenidate is classified as a prohibited stimulant under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List, which USADA enforces for many BJJ competitions.\n\nCanuto acknowledged the violation, explaining that he has a prescription for Methylphenidate to manage ADHD and did not intend to use it for performance enhancement. However, he admitted to failing to obtain a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) prior to competing, which is a requirement for athletes using prescribed prohibited substances. USADA reiterated the strict liability principle, emphasizing that athletes are solely responsible for the substances in their bodies and for securing necessary TUEs.