A bodybuilding champion, Ricardo Nolasco dos Santos, has died suddenly at the age of 31, just weeks after asking his long-term girlfriend to marry him.
Santos, better known as Kadu Santos in the bodybuilding world, reportedly passed away in Novo Hamburgo in southern Brazil on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025.
His cause of de@th has not been disclosed.
The heartbroken father of the deceased, Amauri Santos, took to social media to announce the sad news. He said it was the saddest day of his life as his ‘beloved son’ was no more.
The late bodybuilder was a champion 11 times and a two-time overall champion of the prestigious Muscle Contest.
He proposed to his personal trainer, Sabrina Wollman, on stage at an event in July. Santos and Wollman had dated for four years when he popped the question.
The girlfriend put a video of the proposal on social media with a heartfelt caption, “I love you with all my heart, I admire you, and I’m very proud of who we’ve become together over the years.”
She added that she was happy to choose Santos to “share this crazy life with!”
The late bodybuilder also worked as a personal trainer and offered consulting online, where he frequently shared his rigorous workouts and competitions.
His colleague, Diego Wiegand, wrote a tribute for him on social media, saying, “Heaven is definitely partying today.”
A long-term friend of the deceased, Joel Rodridguez, disclosed that his late friend began training when he was 17 years old with the ambition of becoming a champion.
He said his friend fought very hard to achieve his dream.
“And he was loved by everyone. A very charismatic, friendly person”, he said, adding that the sport had lost a very dedicated player.
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