Gordon Ryan, who’s been undefeated since his loss to Vinny Magalhaes in 2018, is revered by many as the greatest submission grappling athlete of all time… An accolade he earned while battling stomach issues.
And not just the type of stomach issues that don’t make you perform worse in training. No, the type of issues that Ryan says he’s been experiencing have been much longer-lasting and more serious; so much so that they’ve affected his everyday life.
He shed more light on the extent of the issue, that forced him to retire – in a recent Straight Outta The Lair podcast episode, with bodybuilder Flex Lewis:
When I had to retire, I couldn’t even function as a human being.
It wasn’t like: “Oh my training’s not going so great.” No, it was like: “I can’t hold a conversation with people.” I’d have to get up and walk away…
Ryan’s stomach health took the hit from 2018 to 2022… And it wasn’t pretty:
2018 to 2022 my stomach was messed up. That’s when I was winning.
For at least an hour a day, I’d be in the bathroom. I wouldn’t actually throw up, but I’d be sitting next to the toilet like I was gonna throw up any moment.
