Gordon Ryan earns a substantial income from his Jiu-Jitsu career, primarily through various revenue streams. His earnings from competitions alone amount to around $200,000 per year. However, this is just a part of his total income. Ryan significantly boosts his earnings through instructional videos, seminars, sponsorships, and social media activities.

His instructional videos, particularly those sold through BJJ Fanatics, are a major source of income. For example, he can generate around $1.6 million per month from these instructional sales alone, making this his largest revenue stream. Additionally, Ryan benefits from sponsorships and teaching seminars, adding to his overall financial success.

Gordon Ryan appeared on the MMA Hour With Ariel Helwani show, where him and Helwani discussed many things related to BJJ and MMA; including Ryan’s possible crossover.

However, Gordon doesn’t feel like it’d be the right thing for him to do at the moment, especially considering the risk-to-reward ratio:

There’s something more I have to do in Jiu-Jitsu before I can leave, you know. And now I’m at a point where I don’t have to leave. I make more money than most UFC champions.

And, you know, there’s no reason for me to get punched in the head every day and to then have to fight.

Helwani asked him Ryan to clarify if the money he’s earning is a “normal” thing in BJJ, to which Ryan responeded:

Oh, no, that’s Gordon Ryan exclusive. It’s like it I’m like the Mayweather or McGregor of Jiu-Jitsu.
I mean, I don’t make nearly as much money as they do, but in proportion to the rest of the guys [I make a lot of money].

I think that an athlete in Jiu-Jitsu in the next 5 to 10 years should be making over $1,000,000 a year on just competing. We can do that.
I think we will have something going for us.

The average earnings of a UFC champion per year can vary significantly based on multiple factors such as fight frequency, win bonuses, sponsorships, and pay-per-view (PPV) shares. On average, UFC champions earn between $500,000 to $3,000,000 per fight​ (Diario AS)​.

UFC champions often benefit from PPV payouts, which can substantially increase their earnings. For example, fighters like Conor McGregor have earned millions from PPV shares alone. On top of their fight purses, champions may also receive performance bonuses, which are typically around $50,000 to $75,000 per fight for “Fight of the Night” or “Performance of the Night” awards​ (Way of Martial Arts)​​ (Fight MMA)​.

Considering that most champions fight about two to three times a year, their annual earnings can range from $1,000,000 to over $10,000,000, depending on their fight outcomes, PPV sales, and additional bonuses​