Gordon Ryan – “It doesn’t make sense for me to go into MMA”
Gordon Ryan is considered by many to be the greatest no–gi grappler of all time due to his accomplishments and dominance in the field. He is a first-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, five–time ADCC World champion, two-time IBJJF No-Gi World champion and a four-time Eddie Bravo Invitational champion, among many other accolades.
But the question that often arises is, “When will Gordon Ryan compete in MMA?”
Financially speaking, Ryan does not need to transition to MMA because the grappling engagements have been so lucrative. In January 2023, Ryan announced that he had signed a seven-figure multi-fight contract with FloSports.
“I’ve received seven-figure offers to fight MMA, for sure,” Ryan said in a recent interview with Combate.com. “I have the desire to test myself, but I don’t make huge life decisions like that based on emotion,” he continued. “I base it on realism and logic. And logically, it doesn’t make sense for me to go into MMA. I think, No.1, jiu-jitsu is right on the cusp of becoming a mainstream sport. I think that one or two more ADCCs and the athletes will start to receive [more recognition]. And I feel that if I leave the no-gi to go to MMA, it will degenerate back to what it was, unless a giant star emerges who kills everyone. But I feel like I’m taking this sport to the next level of professionalism now. I love jiu-jitsu so much, and I want to see the next generation of athletes succeed financially.”
This past Sunday the 28-year-old star dominated opponent Patrick Gaudio en route to an armbar submission victory at the Who’s No. 1 grappling card on FloGrappling.com.
