No-gi grappling “King,” Gordon Ryan, is ringing in the New Year by celebrating his place atop the jiu-jitsu community, following a pair of victories at Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) last August at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
“2024 — another year of me being half dead, but still on top,” Ryan wrote on Instagram. “Ohhh, how sweet. Have a great day, everyone.”
Ryan followed up that message with a post highlighting two physical extremes: his most conditioned physique against his biggest. Not surprisingly, fans flooded the comment section with accusations of steroid abuse.
The 29 year-old Ryan has been “dying” for nearly a year, surpassing Wade Wilson and Stanley Ipkiss for the longest, most-exaggerated death scene in recent memory. That said, the part-time “Invitational” commentator has yet to commit to retirement.
Ryan was even seen training with his gi in a recent photo.
UFC is getting into the grappling business with its Fight Pass series in 2025. Matchmakers are expected to beef up the existing roster, featuring recently-signed jiu-jitsu phenom Mikey Musumeci, which could in turn be enough to motivate Ryan to stick around.
Time will tell.
