The ADCC World Championship is less than a week away, and some of the world’s best grapplers will participate in the most stacked grappling tournament ever. There will be seven divisions (five male and two female) and around 97 competitors overall. However, something everyone has been talking about is the highly anticipated super fight between Gordon Ryan and Andre Galvao. There is a lot of history between these two, and for some time, grappling fans worldwide didn’t even believe that the match would ever happen. Nevertheless, the match has been scheduled and will occur at this year’s event. Let’s look at the strengths and weaknesses of both athletes and analyze their keys to victory.

The Stand-up Battle

This part of the match will play a huge role in determining the winner. The ADCC super fight lasts 20 minutes with two possible 10-minute overtimes, and pulling guard at each stage gives a minus point. Because of this, there is little chance of someone pulling guard, and both athletes will work for a takedown. 

Andre Galvao is an extraordinary wrestler who utilizes heavy collar ties to tire his opponents and set up his famous single-leg and blast double-leg takedowns. On the other hand, throughout his early career, Gordon Ryan was famous for his guard game and leg attacks, but he has recently evolved into an outstanding wrestler and can be very dangerous on the feet with knee pick and bodylock takedowns. Both athletes use a lot of hand fighting and collar ties to get to their favorite takedowns and tire opponents, and they both avoid going to their knees. 

Gordon Ryan might have a narrow advantage in this part, and this is because of his height. Longer arms will help him get to Andre’s head more often, exhausting him and forcing him into mistakes. However, this does not have to be the case at all. Andre Galvao has had many matches against taller opponents, and his extreme condition allows him to push the pace and score. Additionally, Gordon Ryan might try to use snap downs to bring Andre down and force front headlock scenarios, which can lead to submission or back control. 

Andre Galvao’s Keys to Victory

As soon as this match was announced, most people thought Galvao had very slim chances of winning. I believe this is an incredibly naive assumption, and Andre has several ways to emerge victorious. The first important factor will be his incredible conditioning and tactical awareness. Andre is known as a hard worker, and he is powerful and conditioned. On top of that, Andre Galvao has been submitted only four times in his black belt career (since 2005). In the standing game, Andre will probably try to tire Gordon out with aggressive collar ties and get to a single or double leg. Remember that Lucas Barbosa took down Gordon at their ADCC match, and he has a similar style to Andre. Galvao’s best chance of winning this match will be if he can get the top position and put his trademark passing pressure on Gordon.   

Gordon Ryan’s Keys to Victory

Gordon Ryan is probably the most technical no-gi grappler we have ever seen, and he has a lot of ways to win this match. If Gordon can get to the top position and utilize his half-guard and bodylock passing, he can get to dominant positions such as the mount or back. Getting to one of these two positions will be Gordon’s preferred way to victory. Additionally, Galvao must be careful when engaging with Gordon’s guard, as Gordon is known for his devastating leglock game. Overall, Gordon will present many problems for Andre in all aspects of the match, and that constant pressure can get him the victory.

Who Will Win?

Although it will be hard to predict this match, I believe Gordon Ryan has both the youth and technical advantage over Galvao and that he will find a way to victory. This is mainly because he is a complete grappler and has more ways to threaten Andre with submissions. However, a significant factor in this match will be Gordon Ryan’s physical exhaustion. Gordon will compete in the +99kg division, and if he gets a couple of tough fights, he might be exhausted for his superfight with Andre. Because of this, I believe the match will be much closer than most people think, and both fighters will do their best to put on a show!

My name is Milos, and I am a brown belt and head instructor at Fort Jiu-Jitsu! Check us out!

Want to learn from these two legends? Check their instructional videos on BJJ Fanatics: