Gordon Ryan decided to put his world-class Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills to the test against a mountain of a man just 24 hours before his main event spot at UFC Fight Pass Invitational 3 on Friday.
Originally scheduled to face former UFC competitor Vinny Magalhaes in a submission grappling showdown, Ryan will now meet late replacement Nick Rodriguez at the third annual Fight Pass event, but not before taking the opportunity to roll with 2018’s World’s Strongest Man, Thor Bjornsson. Best known for playing The Mountain on Game of Thrones, Bjornsson is 6-foot-9 and has tipped the scales at nearly 450 pounds.
As if that weren’t enough of a challenge for Gordon Ryan, he was also spotted rolling with 2019’s World Strongest Man winner, Martins Licis.
While Gordon Ryan is a fairly big man himself, standing at 6’3″ and weighing 230 pounds, the five-time ADCC world champion was dwarfed by Bjornsson and Licis in comparison. That didn’t stop him from putting his elite BJJ skills to work against his much bigger adversaries.
“Literally went against the best and got humbled quite badly,” Bjornsson posted on Instagram. “@martinslciis and I got the opportunity to meet up with @gordonlovesjiujitsu while he was doing his last workout before he competes tomorrow. I love trying out new sport and what a pleasure it was. Excited to watch Gordon crush his opponent tomorrow! This guy is next level!”
Ryan hilariously called the meeting the most “terrifying night of my life.”
The five-time ADCC champion Ryan proved once again that superior technique can overcome any disadvantage in size and strength. The two Strongman stars, who are used to dominating their opponents with their physical abilities, likely found it humbling to be outmatched by someone with a higher level of technique. The importance of weight classes in sports highlights the significance of size and strength, but it is clear that technique should not be underestimated.