Recently, renowned no-gi grappling athlete Gordon Ryan generated buzz in the martial arts community due to his performance both on and off the mats. At the UFC Fight Pass Invitational 3, Ryan engaged in a match against his former teammate, Nick Rodriguez, which he won through a somewhat perplexing tiebreaker, having managed to escape submission faster. It is important to note that this match adhered to the submission-only format.
Post-match, Ryan leveled accusations against Rodriguez, asserting that he had employed the prohibited tactic of greasing to enhance his slipperiness during the bout. However, this was not the only controversy surrounding the event, as Ryan himself faced allegations of utilizing Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs), substances that boost athletic performance but are often banned in various sports. Notably, the sport of grappling does not typically enforce anti-doping tests.
Since then, the controversy has continued. For instance, he posted a story (screenshotted below) that shows Ryan’s stance on the matter.
Recently, Ryan commented on a Rodriguez Instagram post, writing: “The people most against PEDs are usually the biggest abusers. If you do a little research and compare their bodies from time to time they are built like Gods and sometimes they literally have tits. Must be fun building a career around blatant lies and having no problem selling it to the public.”
Whether both of these Austin based grapplers will meet in the future remains to be seen. Nonetheless, if they do it should be fireworks.
Charles Vieira
Charles Vieira is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu brown belt. He has travelled the world extensively training on 4 continents.