Georges St-Pierre, often referred to as “GSP”, was set to headline UFC Fight Pass Invitational 5 with his professional grappling debut. However, he recently disclosed a shoulder injury. This event was eagerly awaited as it marked GSP’s first foray back into combat sports since his two-division championship win in 2017.
For this grappling event, several potential opponents were considered for St-Pierre, including UFC veteran and BJJ world champion Demian Maia. Eventually, Nick Diaz was chosen, but he too suffered an injury.
Despite GSP’s absence from the mat, the BJJ promotion confirmed that he will join the commentary team for the event.
With St-Pierre’s withdrawal, the UFC Fight Pass Invitational organizers have roped in another prominent figure from the combat sports world: BJJ sensation Gordon Ryan. Ryan, a no-gi prodigy, will face ADCC veteran Mason Fowler in the main event on December 9.
In another highlight of the event, BJJ world champion Nicholas Meregali will face Felipe Pena, a longtime adversary of Ryan. Not one to miss an opportunity, Ryan took a playful dig at Pena, commenting, “ask and you shall receive. Fans get the long-awaited match against Mason, and we get to see Peña lose…again.”
After nearly a year’s hiatus, Gordon Ryan made a triumphant return at WNO 20. Besides assisting Jon Jones in his preparations for UFC 295, Ryan has two upcoming matches: one against Lucas Barbosa at WNO 21 on November 30 and the aforementioned main event against Fowler on December 9.
Mason Fowler, despite a quiet 2023, secured this opportunity against Ryan, likely due to his victory at UFC FPI 3’s absolute tournament in 2022. Fowler’s accolades include gold medals at ADCC trials in 2021 and 2019 and the title of Submission Underground champion in 2020 as well as submitting Craig Jones in a similar format.
