The Public Prosecutor’s Office has filed a complaint against BJJ athlete Juliano Di Pelli Machado – following a competition injury that left Willian Hiroyuki Masuda with a fractured spine.
The incident occurred on Friday, August 22, when a no-gi match at the Moringão gymnasium in Londrina, turned into a medical emergency.
Prosecutor Renato de Lima Castro submitted the complaint to the Civil Police, requesting a formal investigation into possible serious bodily harm committed with intent against Massuda.
Video from the match shows Massuda inverted at one point during the exchange, with Machado bringing him down and Massuda’s neck striking the ground.
He suffered a spinal injury at the C5 and C6 vertebrae, an injury that could have left him quadriplegic.
He underwent roughly 10 hours of surgery at the Evangelical Hospital, reportedly with success, though his condition remains under monitoring.
The complaint highlights a notable size gap between the two athletes as a factor in evaluating the risk of the move.
Machado is listed at approximately 6 feet 1 inch (1.85m) and 265 lbs (120kg), while Massuda is listed at about 5 feet 6 inches (1.67m) and 176 lbs (80kg).
The technique blamed for the injury is commonly referred to as a “pile driver”, in which an athlete controls an inverted opponent, legs up and head down, and drives them into the mat.
The move has long been banned in BJJ due to the exact type of injury seen in this case.
Check out the footage of the injury below at your own discretion:
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