On October 1st, Jiu-Jitsu enthusiasts gathered in Houston, Texas, to celebrate the 110th birthday of the esteemed master Helio Gracie. The occasion was marked by the grand event, Who’s Number One 20, which featured thrilling fights and no-gi belt disputes. Notably, this event also marked the return of Gordon Ryan to the mat after a 290-day absence due to medical issues. Ryan underwent a tonsillectomy and subsequently experienced severe stomach problems caused by antibiotics.
Ryan delivered an impressive performance that did not disappoint the audience in Texas or the viewers connected to the FloGrappling portal. In a fight scheduled for 30 minutes, he secured his heavyweight belt by submitting Patrick Gaudio in just over 14 minutes. Afterward, Ryan displayed his dominance by executing a locked chest and showcasing his finishing move, the armbar, which he had applied seconds before. This victory solidified his position as the no-gi king.
In a recent interview with Ana Hissa and Adriano Albuquerque on the Combate channel, Ryan shared valuable insights and reflections on his career. Addressing his reputation as a bold and outspoken individual, he explained his motivation for promoting the sport through his sharp tongue and social media posts. Ryan expressed his desire to elevate Jiu-Jitsu to a truly professional level, ensuring that future generations can earn a substantial income from competing.
Ryan referenced a conversation with John Danaher, who emphasized the importance of fighters who possess the ability to promote events effectively.
“I’m really just doing what everyone should be doing, I’m trying to take this sport to a truly professional level, so that future generations can make good money competing.”
“John Danaher once talked to us about fighters who knew how to promote events before. And when they got up there, they made their opponent look like a beginner. It was these athletes, guys like Muhammad Ali or Connor McGregor, that people wanted to see. If you can engage people’s emotions, they will be willing to pay anything to see you win or lose. That’s what I look for as a competitor. I believe we work harder than a lot of people, and there are still ADCC champions who don’t even make money to pay their rent. I’m a kind guy. Everyone says, man, he’s so cool in person, but he’s an asshole on Instagram! Well, that’s because 95% of my interactions on Instagram are with people who are attacking me. I just attack them back.
In person, everyone is nice to me, and I’m nice back. I’m not there pretending. My public persona is just a slightly amplified version of me. You need to be real because you can’t hide who you are for long. So my advice is to be authentic, you need to be who you really are. But you can always turn up the volume a little and extract that character from it,”
In conclusion, Gordon Ryan’s advice to fellow competitors is to remain authentic and true to themselves. He emphasized the significance of being genuine, as one’s true character cannot be concealed for an extended period. While individuals should embrace their authentic selves, Ryan suggested that they can enhance certain aspects of their personality to captivate audiences and leave a lasting impression.
