Brazilian Bodybuilding Star Kadu Santos Dies Suddenly Weeks After On-Stage Proposal

The Brazilian fitness world is mourning the sudden death of 31-year-old bodybuilding champion and influencer, Ricardo Nolasco dos Santos, widely known as Kadu Santos, who passed away unexpectedly on Monday, October 20, in Novo Hamburgo, southern Brazil.

The cause of his death has not yet been disclosed, leaving fans and colleagues reeling with shock.

Santos, an 11-time bodybuilding champion and two-time overall Muscle Contest winner, had only recently celebrated one of the happiest moments of his life — proposing to his longtime girlfriend, personal trainer Sabrina Wollman, on stage during a competition in July. The couple had been together for exactly four years when he asked her to marry him before a cheering crowd.

“The saddest day of my life. My beloved son,” his grieving father, Amauri Santos, wrote on social media, confirming the heartbreaking news.

Wollman, in a touching Instagram post, paid tribute to her late fiancé, writing:

“I love you with all my heart. I admire you and I’m very proud of who we’ve become together over the years. Thank you for always making me the best version of myself. I choose you every day to share this crazy life with.”

Beyond his success on the competition stage, Santos was a personal trainer and online fitness coach, known for sharing intense training regimens and motivational insights with thousands of followers.

Tributes have poured in from across the bodybuilding community. Fellow athlete Diego Wiegand said, “Heaven is definitely partying today.” Event promoter Joel Rodriguez, a close friend, remembered him as “a very charismatic, friendly person” who started training at 17 with dreams of becoming a champion.

The PowerCT training center, where Santos worked, also released a statement describing him as “an example of dedication, discipline, and companionship.”

Santos’s sudden passing marks the loss of one of Brazil’s most promising fitness icons, a man whose drive, humility, and passion inspired a generation of athletes.

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