Gordon Ryan: Career, Titles and Style of the Best No-Gi Grappler

Gordon Ryan is the most dominant no-gi grappler of the modern era. Multiple ADCC World Championships, three IBJJF No-Gi World titles, the 2022 ADCC Absolute, the 2022 Superfight win over Andre Galvao. He has been the consensus best in the world since 2017 and continues to defend the title when his health allows. This is the working profile: where he came from, the titles, the style, and the controversies.

Gordon Ryan at a glance

Attribute	Details
Full name	Gordon Ryan
Nickname	"The King"
Born	8 July 1995, New Jersey, USA
Age	30
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Walking weight	Around 100 kg (220 lb), competes at 99 kg, +99 kg and Absolute
Nationality	American
Belt	Black belt
Promoted by	John Danaher
Team	New Wave Jiu-Jitsu, Austin, Texas
Style	Pressure passing, back-attack system, rear naked choke finishing

Early life and how he started BJJ

Gordon Ryan was born on 8 July 1995 in New Jersey. His introduction to BJJ came through his stepfather and his younger brother Nicky Ryan, who started training first. Gordon followed and quickly became obsessive about the sport.

His early training was with Tom DeBlass, who promoted him through the lower belts. The defining moment came when he started training under John Danaher at Renzo Gracie Academy in New York. Danaher saw the same systematic mind in Ryan that he had in himself, and the partnership has defined Ryan's career.

He received his black belt from Danaher in 2017 at age 21.

Path under John Danaher

Ryan joined the Danaher Death Squad (DDS) in his late teens and quickly became the standout student. Training in the blue basement of Renzo Gracie Academy, he absorbed Danaher's systems and added his own size, athleticism and competitive aggression on top.

By 2017 he was competing at the senior level. By 2018 he was winning ADCC gold. By 2019 he was the consensus number one no-gi grappler in the world, a position he has held with minor interruptions ever since.

Major titles

The record:

ADCC World Championships

• 2017 (Espoo, Finland): Silver at 88 kg as a debut competitor.
• 2019 (Anaheim, USA): Gold at 99+ kg.
• 2022 (Las Vegas, USA): Gold at +99 kg, Gold in the Absolute division, and Gold in the Superfight against Andre Galvao.
• 2024 (Las Vegas, USA): Gold in the Superfight.

IBJJF No-Gi Worlds

• 3-time No-Gi World Champion across multiple weight categories.

WNO (Who's Number One)

• WNO Heavyweight Champion with multiple defences, including wins over Felipe Pena, Josh Saunders and Yuri Simões.
• Set a points record in the Simões match.

EBI (Eddie Bravo Invitational)

• 4-time EBI Champion before transitioning away from the platform.

Combined

Across the major no-gi platforms (ADCC, IBJJF No-Gi Worlds, WNO, EBI), Ryan has the deepest set of credentials of any active grappler. The 2022 ADCC run, in particular, is widely considered one of the most dominant tournament performances in submission grappling history.

The 2022 ADCC and the Galvao Superfight

The 2022 ADCC in Las Vegas was Ryan's defining moment. He won his weight class (+99 kg), then entered the Absolute and won that too. The Absolute final saw him submit Nicholas Meregali in a match that defined the new era of the sport.

The headline event was the Superfight against six-time ADCC Champion Andre Galvao. Galvao had held the Superfight title for multiple editions and was widely considered untouchable in his prime. Ryan beat him decisively, ending an era and starting a new one.

Fighting style

Ryan's system is built around three pillars:

Back-attack focus

The Danaher system treats back control as the primary objective, and Ryan executes it better than anyone. He chains takedowns, body locks during guard passes, and reactive entries to take the back. Once on the back, the body triangle locks the position and the rear naked choke ends the match.

Pressure passing

His top game is built around the body lock pass, with heavy chest-to-chest pressure that flattens opponents and pins their hips. From there he progresses to side control, mount, or directly to the back.

Systematic submissions

Ryan rarely freestyles. Every submission attempt fits a chain: an armbar threat that forces a defensive reaction, which opens the back; a choke threat that forces a posture change, which exposes the arm. He thinks several moves ahead and lets opponents pick which submission they want to lose to.

For more on the techniques he uses, see our BJJ moves glossary.

Health issues and inactivity

Ryan has battled significant gastrointestinal issues throughout his career. The public details have shifted over the years (parasitic infections, autoimmune issues, dietary triggers), but the impact on his training and competition schedule has been real. He has had to withdraw from events, lose weight unexpectedly between camps, and manage long recovery periods.

When healthy, he is the best in the world by a clear margin. The "when healthy" qualifier has become part of the conversation around him, particularly after long gaps between competitions.

He has spoken publicly about working with multiple specialists and adjusting his diet and training to manage the condition. As of 2026, he continues to compete on a reduced schedule.

Trash talk, persona and personality

Ryan has cultivated a public persona modelled more on Conor McGregor than on traditional BJJ figures. Loud, unapologetic, often confrontational on social media, willing to talk down opponents publicly. The persona has split the BJJ fanbase: some find it refreshing for a sport that has historically valued humility above all else; others find it grating.

For the marketing of BJJ as a professional sport, Ryan's persona has been a net positive. He brought eyeballs to grappling that the more traditional figures never could. The 2022 ADCC Superfight against Galvao was watched by a global audience that included casual MMA fans who had never followed grappling.

His Instagram presence is a topic of its own. See our piece on Gordon Ryan's Instagram for the long-form take.

Business and FloSports deal

In early 2023, Ryan signed a multi-year deal with FloSports reportedly worth seven figures. The deal made him the highest-paid grappler in BJJ history and marked the start of an era where elite grapplers could realistically make a living from competition alone, without owning a gym or running seminars.

The deal included content commitments, exclusive competitions, and a long-term path that Ryan and his team had been lobbying for. The signing was a watershed moment for the sport.

New Wave Jiu-Jitsu

After the Danaher Death Squad split in 2021, Ryan co-founded New Wave Jiu-Jitsu with John Danaher and Garry Tonon in Austin, Texas. The team has dominated the modern era, with multiple ADCC golds in 2022 and 2024 across weight classes and absolute. Ryan operates as both the headline athlete and a senior coach within the team.

Instructional content

Ryan has released multiple instructional series on BJJ Fanatics, including:

• Getting Swole as a Grappler
• Systematically Attacking the Guard
• Pin Escapes and Recoveries (co-instructed with Danaher)
• The Half Guard Anthology

For more on the platform, see our BJJ Fanatics review.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Gordon Ryan? Gordon "The King" Ryan is an American BJJ black belt and the dominant no-gi grappler of the modern era. He is a multiple-time ADCC World Champion and the headline athlete of New Wave Jiu-Jitsu.

How old is Gordon Ryan? He was born on 8 July 1995, making him 30 years old in 2026.

How tall and heavy is Gordon Ryan? He stands 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) and walks around 100 kg (220 lb). He competes at 99 kg, +99 kg and in the ADCC Absolute division.

Who is Gordon Ryan's coach? John Danaher, a 6th-degree BJJ black belt under Renzo Gracie. Danaher has coached Ryan since his teenage years.

Is Gordon Ryan the greatest BJJ grappler ever? He is the greatest no-gi grappler of the modern era by most measures. The all-time GOAT debate includes Marcus "Buchecha" Almeida, Roger Gracie and Marcelo Garcia. See our top BJJ athletes list for the full conversation.

What is Gordon Ryan's BJJ record? He has multiple ADCC golds across weight class and Absolute, three IBJJF No-Gi World titles, four EBI championships, and the WNO Heavyweight title with multiple defences. His full record is one of the most decorated in submission grappling.

Why is Gordon Ryan called "The King"? The nickname grew from his dominance in ADCC and submission grappling more broadly. He has used it as his competitive identity since around 2017.

What is Gordon Ryan's signature submission? The rear naked choke from back control. The combination of his body lock pass, his back-take system, and the RNC finish is the foundation of his entire game.

What happened to Gordon Ryan at ADCC 2022? He won his weight class (+99 kg), won the Absolute division, and won the Superfight against six-time champion Andre Galvao. It was one of the most dominant tournament runs in modern BJJ history.

Where does Gordon Ryan train? At New Wave Jiu-Jitsu in Austin, Texas, under John Danaher.

The bottom line

Gordon Ryan is the dominant grappler of his era. The ADCC golds, the Superfight win over Galvao, the multiple no-gi world titles, the FloSports deal: each is a marker of a career that has reshaped what is possible in professional submission grappling.

His persona is divisive. His health is fragile. But when he steps on the mats and is healthy enough to compete, he is the best in the world, and the margin is real.

For more on the modern grappling era, see our New Wave Jiu-Jitsu page, the John Danaher profile, the What is ADCC explainer, and the top BJJ athletes list. For more on Gordon's online presence, see Gordon Ryan's Instagram.