Jiu-jitsu star Robert Drysdale is in the minority. Born in the United States to an American father and a Brazilian mother, the retired fighter holds strong political views and has never been afraid to share them. In a community mostly populated by athletes with far-right opinions, who openly support former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, the 41-year-old grappler is an exception to the rule.
For his political stances, Robert is the fifth and final (?) guest of the ‘Not All Brazilians’ series, where I interview Brazilian athletes who go against the grain and do not support far-right politics.
Though he does not consider himself a left-wing athlete, like previous guests of the series, Drysdale never supported Bolsonaro and has always been a fierce critic of Jair’s military tendencies, his shallow speech and the fake news tactics implemented throughout his government and presidential campaigns.