Gordon Ryan recently 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.
