Gordon Ryan is widely considered one of the most accomplished competitors in the sport’s history.

His career includes numerous major titles and victories over elite opponents, placing him among the most dominant figures in modern grappling.

However, discussions about his legacy have often been accompanied by controversy surrounding PED use.
Ryan has openly acknowledged using performance-enhancing substances during his career, arguing that professional grappling events generally operate without formal testing and therefore do not prohibit it.

That stance has created friction with several top competitors who advocate for clean competition, including ONE Championship submission grappling champion Tye Ruotolo.

In a recent interview, Ruotolo shared his perspective on Ryan’s decision to step away from competition:

For my perspective, it’s a little salty because I’ve had to take a rough route in the sense where I’ve had to compete against these guys on steroids.
Giving up weight, giving up everything that comes along with taking all the PEDs and everything.

Ruotolo also suggested that PED use can have long-term consequences for athletes’ careers:

I feel like he’d have a lot more years in the sport if maybe he had kept a cleaner lifestyle.
I don’t know what his lifestyle is, I can’t speak on it too much.

I just know that steroids are not good for longevity for sure. That’s just a proven fact.

Beyond Ryan’s individual case, Ruotolo expressed concern about the broader impact of PED culture on younger athletes entering the sport:

I hate to see it with the kids more than anything.
I just think it’s not the best example for the next generation.

Ruotolo acknowledged that PED use is a known issue in high-level grappling and that athletes often face pressure to follow the same path:

Even for me, my exposure to people wanting to give me steroids from such a young age in the sport of Jiu-Jitsu was really unbelievable.
It’s not something that I want the younger generation to feel they need to do.

Despite his criticism, Ruotolo emphasized that his comments are not driven by personal hostility toward Ryan.
He expressed respect for Ryan’s accomplishments and hopes the former champion can recover from his health issues:

All the best to him and his life.
Hopefully he can come back and get healthy so I can get a crack at him one day.

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