- Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu star Gordon Ryan made history at the 2022 ADCC World Championships
- The American remarkably choked out grappling legend Andre Galvao in a super fight
Just one whole weekend is what American grappling superstar Gordon Ryan needed to cement his name as one of the most decorated athletes in the country. Ryan made history at the 2022 ADCC World Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada by becoming the first athlete to win gold in three different weight classes.
Gordon for the gold
Ryan, who was backed by fitness influencer Jujimufu at the ADCC Championships, went on an impressive winning streak at the +99kg division, having edged Heikki Jussila and Victor Hugo en route to a semi-final clash with Roosevelt Souza.
The 27-year-old finished Souza via inside heel hook and advanced to the gold medal match against Nick Rodriguez. Ryan picked up where he left off and also submitted Rodriguez via heel hook at 2:15 to win his fourth ADCC title.
The victory made Ryan the first athlete to cop titles in three weight classes: +99kg in 2022, -99kg in 2019 and +88kg in 2017.
Passing of the torch
To cap off his historic ADCC run, Ryan dismantled grappling legend Andre Galvao later in the day. The Brazilian got Ryan down early in the match with an early double-leg takedown but the American was able to sweep and shifted the advantage to his side, pouring tremendous pressure on Galvao’s guard. “The King” then transitioned to Galvao’s back and worked his way to a rear-naked choke at 16:04 to win his fifth ADCC title.
Gordon Ryan dominated the legend in Andre Galvao to win the 2022 ADCC Super-Fight title.
— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) September 19, 2022
The win over Galvao saw Ryan improve his submission grappling record to 152-9-3, and become arguably the best grappler in the world today.
Ryan’s road to making history this year was taxing as he had endured ups and downs prior to ADCC World Championships. Last year, he inked a deal with ONE Championship and was supposed to debut in the promotion in a special openweight clash with Shinya Aoki. However, Ryan was prompted to temporarily retire due to health issues. But now that “The King” is already a legend in the sport, it will be interesting to see where he will be competing next.
