Gordon Ryan, a dominant figure in the world of no-gi grappling, has recently shared glimpses into his physical transformation, sparking discussions about his health, steroid use, and unwavering ambition. This article delves into Ryan's journey, exploring his weight fluctuations, his controversial views on performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), and his relentless pursuit of becoming the greatest of all time.
A Jiu-Jitsu King's Reign and Recent Revelations
Following a pair of victories at Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) last August at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Ryan celebrated his continued success in the jiu-jitsu community. "2024 - another year of me being half dead, but still on top," Ryan wrote on Instagram, hinting at ongoing health challenges. He then shared a post contrasting his most conditioned physique with his largest, igniting a flurry of comments, many accusing him of steroid abuse.
The "Dying" Champion and Retirement Speculation
The 29-year-old Ryan has alluded to health issues for nearly a year, leading to speculation about his future in the sport. Despite these challenges, the part-time "Invitational" commentator has not committed to retirement and was recently seen training with his gi.
Steroid Use: A "No Brainer" for Gordon Ryan?
Ryan has been vocal about his steroid use, even releasing a near 30-minute video explaining his rationale. He argues that PEDs were legal in jiu-jitsu, especially when he started in 2016, with no organizations testing for them. "Number one, because they were legal in jiu-jitsu,” Gordon Ryan said about why he’s using steroids. “Especially back then in 2016 when I started, there was no organizations in jiu-jitsu that even tested for PEDs. So they were clearly legal."
Ryan further claims that the only thing people remember is whether you win or lose, regardless of injuries or other challenges. "The only thing that people care about is whether you won or whether you lost. They don’t care if you were injured, they don’t care if you were sick, they don’t care if you had a good camp, a bad camp. What everyone cares about, when everyone looks back in ten years, is ‘did this guy win or did this guy lose?’ That combined with the fact that steroids are legal in jiu-jitsu, it kinda made it a no brainer.”
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He also alleges that the IBJJF only started testing for PEDs to prevent him from winning again, stating, "The only place they’re not legal is in IBJJF, where they started testing after I won worlds. I won the No Gi Worlds and they were like ‘yeah, we have to make sure Gordon doesn’t win again.’ So then they started testing." Ryan maintains that he has never competed in events where steroids were explicitly prohibited. "I never competed in any event where steroids were illegal, where they said you couldn’t take them or we’re gonna test for these.”
The Cost of Greatness: Trading Years for Legacy
Ryan openly admits that he is willing to sacrifice his long-term health for greatness. "Even if it were to take 20 years off of my life, I wouldn’t regret doing the things that I’ve done to become the greatest of all time in this sport. Because ultimately when I die, my legacy is what’s going to be remembered.” He views PED use as a "sacrifice" rather than cheating, stating, "I would rather die with a legacy at 50 years old, than just be a normal guy dying at 70 or 80 years old. That’s not a sacrifice that people are willing to make, and that’s why they’re not Gordon Ryan.”
Health Issues and Weight Loss
Throughout his career, Ryan has faced serious health issues. He claims his stomach problems are not a result of PED abuse but rather caused by "recurring staph infections" and antibiotics that "wiped out my gut biome." In a recent post, Ryan detailed his health issues that caused him to drop weight. "Everyone posts their best. Be confident enough to post your worst. This post is simply to update everyone on my current athletic status. I’m not asking for sympathy or help, and in fact, would prefer if you lose faith in me so I can prove you wrong like I always do." This statement accompanied images showcasing his weight loss and current physique, a stark contrast to his previously muscular build.
Steroids Not Required? Ryan's Conflicting Claims
Despite his open use of steroids, Ryan paradoxically claims that he doesn't need them to be the best. "Do you need steroids to be the best athlete in the world? No, I don’t think so. I think that I could have done all this natural, and I could have been the best in the world without steroids,” he claimed. However, he also believes that steroids are necessary to reach one's full potential as an athlete. “I don’t believe that you need steroids to be the best in the world what I do believe is that you need steroids to be the best version of yourself as an athlete. That’s just a fact. They’re performance enhancing drugs. You’re always going to be better as an athlete taking steroids that you would be if you weren’t.”
He asserts that he achieved significant success before using PEDs, submitting top competitors while natural. "Your whole argument that ‘Gordon wouldn’t even be good unless he was on steroids’ … I was submitting ADCC champions and medalists way before I was ever on steroids,” Ryan argued. “While I was natural, these guys were juiced up. Natural, I submitted Yuri (Simoes), Yuri was the reigning ADCC champion at the time… Then I submitted Keenan (Cornelius), I submitted Vagner (Rocha). I submitted all these guys natural, having just gotten my black belt." He claims that at 20 years old, between 180 and 190 lbs, and natural, he was submitting the best guys in the world, despite being a "tenth of what I am technically back then.”
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Ryan stated that his first introduction to PEDs was after he had won EBI at 170 (lbs). "My first introduction to PEDs, steroids, whatever we’re gonna call them, was after I had won EBI at 170 (lbs). I cut the weight, did EBI at 170, and then after that I started going up in weight and getting to a higher weight class,” he said. EBI 11 was in 2017, which would make Gordon Ryan 22 years old and over a year into his career as a black belt.
Early Success and the Rise to Prominence
Ryan began training at a young age and honed his skills under Garry Tonon and John Danaher. He quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a standout in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In 2017, Ryan won the ADCC World Championship in the -88kg weight category, a prestigious achievement in the grappling world. He continued his dominance at the 2022 ADCC, becoming the first athlete to compete in both the super fight and weight class.
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