Few figures in the grappling world have continued to teach and compete at a meaningful level while managing the volume of physical damage that Justin Flores has sustained. On a BJJ Fanatics Podcast appearance around October 2025, Flores disclosed that he has undergone approximately 18 knee surgeries, including six ACL reconstructions. As a result, he no longer has functional ACLs or PCLs, and his right knee is defined by severe arthritis and minimal remaining cartilage.
Between roughly 2015 and 2025, a significant bone growth developed in his knee that severely limited his range of motion. Surgeons removed that growth around 2023, partially restoring function. Flores also manages three herniated discs in his neck — a condition that restricts head movement and can produce numbness and stingers — a combination that would sideline most practitioners permanently.
Despite this injury history, Flores continues to teach, demonstrate techniques, and compete. He frames this ongoing participation not as recklessness but as professional and personal discipline. As a father of two, he has spoken about the importance of staying present — physically, mentally, and emotionally — as a motivating force that runs in parallel with his identity as an athlete and coach.