Bodybuilding fans received sad news this week when Mariza Luis, wife of popular Portuguese bodybuilder and social media influencer, Marco Luis aka “Monstro” confirmed the death of her husband in a touching Facebook post.

The cause of death was not revealed at the time of writing but Mariza, who was often seen working out and traveling to competitions and expos with her husband explained that the man who claimed to be “the most shredded ever” had passed away in Cologne, Germany. “As Marco died in a foreign country, I will have to bring his body back to Portugal after it is released which may take a few days,” she reportedly said via Facebook while thanking friends, family, and fans for their support.

Who was Marco Luis?

Nicknamed Monstro (Monster in English), Luis was a competitive bodybuilder and coach who called himself “The most shredded ever.” In an Instagram post from May, 2023, the star explained that while he’d been born with undisclosed physical problems that made it “impossible” to participate in sports, he was finally able to take up judo at the age of 20, and soon developed a passion for building muscle.

Luis earned first place in a bodybuilding competition in his first outing in 2018 but had already found fame on social media for his ripped appearance, and was approached with sponsorship offers before ever taking the stage. In heartwarming clip, Monstro shares the time that one of his heroes, Ronnie Coleman complimented him on his physique. Luis has explained that he was ‘natural’ until he was 32 years old, meaning that he began taking performance enhancing drugs after that time. A successful competitor and larger than life character, Monstro will be missed in the bodybuilding community.