Fellipe Andrew has accepted a 2-year ban from USADA after an adverse testing result at the IBJJF Pan Championships earlier this year, according to a press release from the anti-doping organization late last week. According to USADA he tested positive for clomiphene and its metabolites, which can act as a hormonal regulator and is a common post-cycle therapy substance.

Fellipe Andrew won the 2024 Pan Championships at heavyweight this year, beating Pedro Machado in the finals. Machado will now be elevated to gold at the event, his first official major championship in the gi since becoming a black belt. The Pan Championships was originally not going to be a USADA-tested event, but the IBJJF announced the change one month out from competition.

Andrew has yet to make a public statement. If we see him comment on the matter officially, we will include it here. This ban means he will be unable to compete at any USADA-sponsored events or IBJJF events for two years, with the ban expiring April 16, 2026. He can still compete in organizations and events that do not test.

USADA's official statement can be found on their website here:

USADA announced today that Fellipe Andrew Leandro Silva, of San Diego, Calif., an athlete in the sport of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, has accepted a two-year period of ineligibility for an anti-doping rule violation after testing positive for a prohibited substance.

Silva, 29, tested positive for clomiphene and its metabolites as the result of an in-competition drug test conducted at the 2024 Pan International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) Jiu-Jitsu Championship on March 24, 2024. Although the IBJJF is not a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code (the Code), USADA was contracted by IBJJF to conduct testing for the event and collected and analyzed Silva’s sample in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Agency’s International Standards.

Clomiphene and its metabolites are Specified Substances in the class of Hormone and Metabolic Modulators, which are prohibited at all times under the Code and the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing, which applied with slight modifications to the 2024 Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

Silva’s two-year period of ineligibility began on April 16, 2024, the date his provisional suspension was imposed. In addition, Silva has been disqualified from all competitive results obtained in competitions sanctioned by the IBJJF or by any Code signatory on and subsequent to March 24, 2024, the date his positive sample was collected, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes.

In an effort to aid athletes, as well as support team members such as parents and coaches, in understanding the rules applicable to them, USADA provides comprehensive instruction on its website on the testing process and prohibited substances, how to file and update athlete Whereabouts, how to obtain permission to use a necessary medication, and the risks and dangers of taking supplements, as well as performance-enhancing and recreational drugs.

In addition, USADA manages a drug reference hotline, Global Drug Reference Online (www.GlobalDRO.com), conducts educational sessions with National Governing Bodies and their athletes, and distributes a multitude of educational materials, such as a supplement guide, a nutrition guide, a clean sport handbook, and periodic alerts and advisories.

USADA makes available a number of ways to report the abuse of performance-enhancing drugs in sport in an effort to protect clean athletes and promote clean competition. Any tip can be reported using the USADA Play Clean Tip Center, by text at 87232 (“USADA”), by email at playclean@USADA.org, by phone at 1-877-Play Clean (1-877-752-9253) or by mail.

USADA is responsible for the testing and results management process for athletes in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement and is equally dedicated to preserving the integrity of sport through research initiatives and educational programs.

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