MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine has reached a major personal milestone outside of music, earning his black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the age of 64.
The legendary guitarist and vocalist was promoted earlier this month, more than two years after receiving his brown belt. The promotion was awarded by Reggie Almeida, part of the Renzo Gracie TN Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school in Tennessee, located near Mustaine’s hometown of Franklin.
Mustaine’s journey in jiu-jitsu has been marked by persistence and resilience. He earned his purple belt in 2021 at age 59, shortly after overcoming throat cancer.
Dave’s friend Jon Milan praised the achievement, writing: “Congratulations to my friend Dave Mustaine on getting his black belt after a long hard fought road. I know you have an amazing team with Professor Reggie.”
In Brazilian jiu-jitsu, the black belt represents the highest commonly awarded rank, signifying expert-level technical knowledge and real-world skill. Achieving it typically requires many years of training and thousands of hours on the mat.
The accomplishment comes as MEGADETH prepares to close out its storied career. The band recently confirmed its “farewell” trek — the “This Was Our Life” tour, launching in 2026, in support of what will be their final studio album, the self-titled Megadeth, arriving this January.
During an appearance on the December 5 edition of SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk, Mustaine opened up about the physical challenges that led him to accept that the end of the road was approaching.
“It had been a long time coming — just physical stuff that was going on with my hands… My hands were letting me down,” Mustaine said. “And there were other things that were difficult because of all the stuff going on in my neck and my trunk. All that area there has arthritis and it has discs that are bulging. I’ve got a broken lumbar bone. Of course, you know I have my back fused, up by my shoulders, by my neck. And just a lot of stuff.”
Despite those obstacles, Mustaine clarified that this wasn’t a case of artistic decline — the band had already completed the album, and he was proud of what they’d achieved. But the concerns nagged at him enough to spark a series of conversations that ultimately shaped MEGADETH’s next chapter.
“I always said when it got to the point where I was unable to give a hundred percent every night, that’s when I was gonna start considering winding down,” he explained.” And it wasn’t that I was unable to give a hundred percent, because we finished the record, and I think we did a good job on it, but there was a period when we were working and I said to my manager, I said, ‘I don’t know how much longer I can do this. My hands are really hurting.’ And I didn’t mean to set the ball rolling. Honestly, I just was making conversation, and it turned into me talking to the band guys and sleeping on it and talking to my family and praying on it. And the answer was clear to me that by the time we’re done with the record, I’m gonna know how the record’s gonna do. If the record does really well, then I’ll be able to have one last really good tour. And the part about the farewell thing, it’s kind of like the same thing, isn’t it? We’ve got some dates that we wanna play to say goodbye to our friends.”
For Mustaine, saying farewell the right way means making sure MEGADETH reaches as many fans as possible around the world.
“The thing is we’re an American band, but we play everywhere,” Dave said. “So it’s not like we just are weekend warriors, like country acts here in the States. We’ve got a lot of touring to do in order to do our farewell properly.”
The conversation also touched on artists who continue performing long after they’re physically able. Mustaine was clear that he never wanted MEGADETH to fall into that category.
“I don’t think there’s any reason [for us] to [keep playing when we are not able to deliver a hundred percent],” he said. “I mean, unless you’re financially in a bad way and you need to keep playing, which, by the grace of God, I’ve been successful. I’ve been able to pay all my bills. All the band guys, they all get their paychecks on time. We do everything right by the book. So, some people, like I said, they may have to keep playing, because there’s nothing else for them to do. Now, when I think about, what am I gonna do after I hang the guitar up, that’s in relation to touring, and I believe that I’m going to keep doing music in some way, shape or form. But not in the fashion that I was doing with MEGS because if I can’t do it and I need to stop playing with my first love, I’m not gonna go out and try and do it again with someone else.”
Though MEGADETH is retiring from making albums, the “farewell” tour won’t be a quick swan song. In a recent conversation with Kerrang!, Mustaine revealed that the final run is expected to stretch on for quite some time. “We’re easily talking about touring for another three to five years,” he said.
MEGADETH’s final album, Megadeth, arrives January 23, 2026 via Mustaine’s Tradecraft imprint in partnership with the BLKIIBLK label under Frontiers Label Group. The album will officially begin the band’s last chapter — one that aims to honor their legacy, their fans, and a career that reshaped the landscape of metal.
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