Two-time ADCC champion Kaynan Duarte revealed that he refused to record his training during a training camp with Gordon Ryan, which angered the American athlete.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Kaynan Duarte recently participated in the “Connect Cast” podcast, where he disclosed an issue that arose with prominent grappler Gordon Ryan during a training camp organized by Mo Jassim, the chief organizer of ADCC, the premier grappling competition. Duarte refused Ryan’s request to film their training sessions, an attitude that reportedly irritated Ryan at the time.
“In my first year as a black belt, I fought Gordon Ryan, but he doesn’t mention my name much. There was a time when we did a camp with Mo Jassim, and he invited some athletes. At the time I accepted, but he wanted to record the behind-the-scenes of the camp and I didn’t feel comfortable appearing on camera, because I was out of shape and not training optimally,” declared Duarte. “There I trained with Gordon, we had some good training in the first few days, but then he ‘crushed’ me. I just didn’t want to appear in the videos,” Duarte continued.
“It’s like a super fight. If I want to fight someone who isn’t prepared, they won’t accept it. But training is okay. But if it’s filmed, whoever is watching it doesn’t know if it’s training or if it’s a competition match. That’s why he was a bit upset at the time, but I hadn’t committed to being recorded. But I don’t care what Gordon Ryan thinks,” concluded Duarte, who is expected to compete at ADCC 2024.
Twenty-eight-year-old Gordon Ryan is considered the premier grappling star today, having not lost a match since May 2018. Currently sidelined due to health issues, Ryan plans to return to competition in August at ADCC 2024. Ryan last competed in October 2021, submitting Patrick Gaudio at “Who’s Number One 20.”
Two years Duarte’s junior, the 26-year-old is a three-time ADCC and two-time IBJJF World champion. Duarte last competed in October 2021 at Polaris 25, where he won the open grand prix, defeating Fabricio Andrey in the final via rear naked choke to claim the $30,000 prize.
