Over the years, Gordon Ryan has been quite critical of his contemporaries. However, one name has stood out beyond them all in terms of his admiration. That name is Roger Gracie. It’s no secret that Ryan has been a long-time admirer of Gracie and has previously spoken highly about the Brazilian.
This week, something legendary happened, when Roger Gracie trained with Gordon Ryan and John Danaher for a few days whilst in Texas. Speaking on the arrangement, an excited Gordon Ryan wrote, “This was a bucket list item of mine. I’ve been waiting years to share the mats with the GOAT of GOATS. After a few rolls it is VERY clear as to why Roger Gracie was as dominant as he was. I’ve spoken in interviews saying Roger was roughly 20 years ahead of the pack technically from 2004-2010 ish. After rolling with him today I can say with certainty he is still far ahead compared to the guys I compete against on a technical level. It was such an honor to have him on the mats with us this week.”
In terms of his career in the gi, Roger won literally everything going – whilst also getting gold at ADCC too. During his career, he was never submitted as a black belt either. It’s no surprise why he has Gordon Ryan’s respect.
Since the pair have trained together, fans have speculated online as to whether there is any footage that would be incredible to watch. Sadly, Roger has retired from competition and these days lives a fairly private lifestyle. Nonetheless, fans can still dream!
