A Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach who trains several well-known UFC fighters has been arrested and charged with third-degree criminal sexual penetration in New Mexico, per court records.
Rafael “Barata” Freitas had a court appearance Saturday where the state filed a motion to keep him detained until trial, Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court public information officer Camille Baca told ESPN. A judge will rule on that motion this week. Freitas is currently being held without bond.
Freitas, 37, is the longtime Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach for a number of fighters from JacksonWink MMA in Albuquerque, most notably former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm and women’s strawweight contender Michelle Waterson. Freitas was in Holm’s corner for her last fight, a UFC Fight Night main event win over Irene Aldana on Oct. 4 in Abu Dhabi. Freitas is also an instructor at a Gracie Barra Brazilian jiu-jitsu affiliate in Albuquerque that several local MMA fighters train at.
In a statement, JacksonWink MMA spokesperson James Hallinan wrote: “[Freitas] is not an employee of JacksonWink Academy and never has been.”
According to the criminal complaint obtained by ESPN via Bernalillo Metropolitan Court, Freitas is being accused of drugging and raping one of his students.
The alleged victim told investigators that Freitas came to her home Nov. 7 for an appointment to massage her legs and feet. The woman had been training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu with Freitas for six years and had recently experienced cramping in her lower body.
The two ate breakfast together and while the alleged victim was using the restroom, she said Freitas prepared her a second glass of orange juice. The alleged victim was also drinking wine and added whiskey and ginger ale to the juice. About 20 to 30 minutes after drinking the beverage, the alleged victim laid on her couch and at that point she believes Freitas started massaging her legs and feet. But she quickly fell asleep on the couch.
When the woman woke up hours later, she told investigators that Freitas was gone and she was naked from the waist down. Days later and still confused about what happened, the alleged victim remembered that she had a security camera installed in her living room. She watched the surveillance video of the events of Nov. 7 and also gave the video to investigators.
Per the criminal complaint, the video shows Freitas “possibly” dropping something into the alleged victim’s orange juice glass while she was in the bathroom. Freitas made a “flicking” motion with his hand over the drink, per the complaint.
Later, the video shows what appears to be Freitas removing the woman’s shorts and forcing oral sex on her while she was asleep on the couch. The criminal complaint reads that when Freitas maneuvered the woman’s legs following the massage, they seemed like “dead weight.” The video also shows, per the complaint, Freitas’ right arm moving back and forth rapidly with his hand near the women’s groin area. Before leaving, Freitas takes the alleged victim’s hand, which appeared to be limp, and rubbed it against his genitals.
After Freitas leaves the home, the video shows the alleged victim laying motionless for about 50 more minutes before sitting up and checking her cell phone.