Gordon Ryan: The Story of No-Gi Grappling's Most Dominant Champion

Quick answer: Gordon Ryan, nicknamed "The King," is an American submission grappler widely regarded as the greatest no-gi competitor of all time. A black belt under Garry Tonon and John Danaher, he is a seven-time ADCC World Champion, three-time IBJJF No-Gi World Champion, and four-time Eddie Bravo Invitational champion. In 2022 he became the first grappler to win ADCC gold in three different weight classes, and he carries a professional record reported at roughly 157 wins against only a handful of losses — about 130 of them by submission.

Few athletes have ever dominated a combat sport the way Gordon Ryan has dominated no-gi submission grappling. Whether you admire or dislike his outspoken persona, his competitive record stands among the most remarkable in the history of grappling. This is a factual look at his background, his achievements, the systems that made him, the health battles that nearly derailed him, and why so many consider him the best to ever do it.

Who is Gordon Ryan?

Gordon Ryan was born on July 8, 1995, in Monroe Township, New Jersey. He began training jiu-jitsu at age 15 and, in 2015, left a regular job to commit to the sport full time — a gamble that paid off faster than almost anyone expected. A super-heavyweight who competes at around 6'2" and 240 pounds, he built a game founded on systematic back attacks, leg locks, and suffocating positional control rather than raw athleticism, and that methodical style became his signature.

From New Jersey to the Danaher Death Squad

Ryan was promoted to black belt in February 2016 by Garry Tonon, in a ceremony also involving coaches Tom DeBlass, Ricardo Almeida, and the renowned John Danaher. His competitive lineage traces back through the Renzo Gracie Academy in New York, where he trained as part of the group nicknamed the "Danaher Death Squad" — a collection of grapplers, coached by Danaher, who reshaped modern no-gi competition with their relentless leg-lock and back-attack systems.

Around 2021, Ryan, Danaher, and several teammates reorganized as New Wave Jiu-Jitsu, eventually basing the team in Austin, Texas. Throughout these moves, the constant was Danaher's systematic, concept-driven approach to teaching, which gave Ryan a framework for solving positions that few opponents could match. As profiles on outlets like BJJ Heroes document, that coaching relationship is central to understanding his rise.

A record almost without parallel

Ryan's honors place him at the very summit of no-gi grappling:

• Seven-time ADCC Submission Wrestling World Champion — ADCC being the sport's most prestigious event, often called the "Olympics of grappling."

• Three-time IBJJF No-Gi World Champion.

• Four-time Eddie Bravo Invitational (EBI) champion.

• A professional record reported at roughly 157 wins, with only a handful of losses, and around 130 victories by submission — an extraordinarily high finishing rate at the elite level.

His ADCC dominance, year by year

ADCC, held every two years, is where Ryan built his legend. His run there is worth tracing:

• 2017 — Ryan won the under-88 kg division, announcing himself as a force at the sport's biggest event.

• 2019 — He claimed "double gold," winning the under-99 kg division and the open-weight Absolute division, reportedly competing through a badly injured hand.

• 2022 — Moving up again, he won the over-99 kg division plus the prestigious superfight against the great André Galvão, who had famously not lost in years. With that performance he became, according to ADCC and FloGrappling, the first grappler in ADCC history to win titles in three different weight classes. In the same event he recorded what is widely reported as the fastest submission in ADCC history, finishing Roosevelt Sousa with a heel hook in roughly 11 seconds.

• 2024 — Returning to the superfight stage, he defeated decorated rivals Felipe Pena and Yuri Simões, extending his dominance into another era of competitors.

Along the way he has finished a who's-who of grappling and even wrestling talent — including a triangle-choke submission of standout collegiate wrestler Bo Nickal in 2019.

The Danaher systems and his instructional influence

Ryan's impact reaches far beyond his own matches. His instructional videos — detailed, systematic breakdowns of back attacks, leg locks, guard passing, and more — became some of the best-selling grappling instructionals ever produced, shaping how an entire generation of competitors trains. The "systems" approach he and Danaher popularized changed the expectations of what a complete no-gi game looks like.

His commercial value reflects that influence: in January 2023 he signed a reported seven-figure deal with FloSports, a landmark agreement for a professional grappler and a sign of how far the sport's top stars had come. For a discipline that was niche not long ago, a multi-year, seven-figure athlete contract was a milestone.

The health battle

Ryan's dominance is made more remarkable by the fact that he sustained it through serious, well-documented health problems. For an extended stretch he battled stomach and intestinal issues — later attributed in part to an H. pylori infection rather than the conditions first suspected — that sapped his strength and forced him out of competition for periods. That he returned from those layoffs to keep winning at the highest level only deepened his reputation for resilience.

Notable rivalries

Great champions are defined partly by their rivals, and Ryan's career has produced several memorable ones:

• Felipe "Preguiça" Pena — Ryan's most storied rivalry. Pena is one of the very few competitors to hold a win over Ryan, having beaten him in a high-profile gi superfight earlier in their careers. Ryan answered that loss emphatically by defeating Pena in a 2024 ADCC superfight, a result that clearly meant a great deal to him.

• André Galvão — At the 2022 ADCC, Ryan defeated the long-dominant Galvão in their superfight, ending a years-long unbeaten run and marking a symbolic passing of the torch from one era's best to the next.

• Nicholas "Nicky Rod" Rodriguez — A former training partner who became a rival as he rose through the ranks; Ryan defeated him in several marquee matchups.

• Craig Jones — A former teammate turned good-natured antagonist, Jones traded barbs with Ryan for years and helped launch the Craig Jones Invitational, which emerged as a high-profile alternative to ADCC.

These rivalries — some bitter, some friendly — gave fans compelling storylines and helped turn submission grappling into appointment viewing.

A polarizing figure who helped grow the sport

Ryan is also known for an outspoken, often controversial public persona, full of trash talk and pre-match callouts. It has made him a divisive figure — but it also drew mainstream attention to a sport that badly needed stars. His rivalries, his confidence, and his willingness to play the villain helped grow grappling's audience during a boom era for submission-only competition. Whatever one makes of the showmanship, it sits on top of a competitive résumé few can question.

Why many call him the greatest no-gi grappler ever

What ultimately separates Ryan is not just the number of titles but the manner of his wins. At his peak he routinely submitted the best grapplers in the world, often by the exact method he predicted, displaying a level of control rarely seen at the elite level. Combine that with his systematic, teachable approach and his finishing rate, and it becomes clear why so many in the sport — and the publications that cover it, from ADCC to FloGrappling — describe him as the greatest no-gi grappler of all time. "Greatest ever" debates are inherently subjective, but his case is among the strongest anyone has built.

His legacy

Gordon Ryan helped push no-gi submission grappling into the mainstream of combat sports. His instructional content and systematic methods influenced a generation, his rivalries and persona expanded the audience, and his ADCC dominance set a bar future grapplers will chase for years. As he has stepped back from the relentless schedule that defined his prime, his place in the history of the sport is already secure.

The takeaway

By record and by reputation, Gordon Ryan is the most dominant no-gi submission grappler the sport has produced: a seven-time ADCC World Champion, the first to win the event in three weight classes, a black belt under Garry Tonon and John Danaher, and the owner of one of the highest finishing rates the elite level has seen — all sustained through serious health setbacks. Whatever comes next, "The King" has earned his place in grappling history.

Inspired to start grappling?

Find a BJJ gym near you on Let's Roll → — many gyms run no-gi classes where you can learn the submission-grappling style Ryan helped popularize. New to it all? Start with what BJJ is, or read up on gi vs no-gi to decide where to begin.

FAQ

Who is Gordon Ryan? Gordon Ryan is an American submission grappler, a black belt under Garry Tonon and John Danaher, and a seven-time ADCC World Champion widely considered the greatest no-gi grappler of all time.

How many ADCC titles does Gordon Ryan have? He is a seven-time ADCC Submission Wrestling World Champion. In 2022 he became the first grappler to win ADCC gold in three different weight classes, and in the same event recorded what is widely reported as the fastest submission in ADCC history.

Who is Gordon Ryan's coach? He trained for years under John Danaher as part of the "Danaher Death Squad" and was promoted to black belt by Garry Tonon. He later co-founded New Wave Jiu-Jitsu, based in Austin, Texas.

What is Gordon Ryan's record? His professional record is reported at roughly 157 wins against only a handful of losses, with around 130 of those wins by submission — an unusually high finishing rate for an elite grappler.

Did Gordon Ryan have health problems? Yes. He battled stomach and intestinal issues, later attributed in part to an H. pylori infection, that sidelined him for stretches of his career. Returning from those layoffs to keep winning deepened his reputation for resilience.

Is Gordon Ryan the best grappler ever? In no-gi submission grappling, many in the sport and the media consider him the greatest of all time, based on his ADCC dominance and submission rate. "Best ever" debates are subjective, but his record is historic.