BJJ specialist Gordon Ryan is on the mend and beginning to look like his old self.
Ryan, 27, has not competed since scoring a short-notice victory over Nicky Rodriguez at UFC Fight Pass Invitational 3 in December. He was initially slated for a return against Felipe Pena under the WNO banner this year but was forced to withdraw after being hospitalized for a severe throat infection. During his recovery, a slew of infection-fighting antibiotics were administered that ultimately helped him regain his health but left him looking like a shell of his former self.
Gordon Ryan Shows Off His Incredible Body Transformation
Just a few short weeks later, the submission superstar is showing off his mind-blowing body transformation on Instagram.
“It’s been almost four months since I’ve been able to be on the mats,” Ryan wrote on social media. “The longest by far I’ve ever been away. I’m happier today than I’ve been in a long time. Rolled around a little with my old friend and mentor Brian Glick here at UFC PI. Had some jiu jitsu, wrestling, and MMA legends in the session today as well. A quick trip to (Las) Vegas for the boys and some UFC media and business, then off to Hawaii to show everyone what I’ve been thinking of and working on before I got sick. Can’t wait to see everyone out there.”
While he may be back on the mat and looking jacked as ever, Ryan is still not slated for a return to competition until 2024.
Considered by many to be one the greatest no-gi grappler in the history of the sport, Gordon Ryan is a five-time ADCC world champion, a two-time IBJJF world champion, and a four-time winner of the Eddie Bravo Invitational. In 2022, Ryan was dubbed the ‘Male Grappler of the Year’ at the Jitsmagazine BJJ Awards.
As revered as Ryan is in the world of submission grappling, he has gained some notoriety for his controversial takes on social media that have repeatedly found him banned on both Instagram and Facebook. A petition was even started to get Ryan permanently banned from Instagram for “promoting violence and hate speech, and harassing other Instagram users.”
