Gordon Ryan is one of the most polarizing figures in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
He embraces trash talk against his opponents and often times pushes it to the limit, frequently making the BJJ community split in their opinions of him.
Tom DeBlass is one of the rare people in the Jiu-Jitsu space who have known Gordon since he was a kid.
And DeBlass shared that fact in a recent social media post, while congratulating Ryan his 28th birthday:
I have gotten bashed repeatedly for sticking by his side.
The issue is that I have known Gordon since he was a child.
I see a side of Gordon no one else has seen. I truly mean that, no one else.Our lives were different than most people could understand.
We grew up different, and we were taught differently.
He then proceeded to share a kind and respectful message that Gordon sent him all the way back in 2017, ahead of that year’s ADCC – which was supposed to be the last one Tom would compete in.
Ryan asked DeBlass if he would like him to step aside, so he can have his absolute division run without competing against him:
Tom, as you know I’d like to do the absolute.
But I have 10 more ADCCs. You have this one and only this one.Are you interested in doing the absolute? Or should I?
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