BJJ legend Gordon Ryan demands Paddy Pimblett-like promotion from the UFC
Gordon Ryan is the face of the No-Gi grappling scene, and the UFC has taken notice of the Brazilian jiu-jitsu phenom's rise to the top of the submission grappling world. The UFC Fight Pass Invitational 3 event was built around the five-time ADCC world champion, and the world leader in MMA is expanding its reach into the grappling circuit with Ryan as the star attraction.
Last year's ADCC superfight between Ryan and BJJ wizard Andre Galvao was one of the most anticipated bouts of all time. After submitting the Brazilian superstar, skepticism regarding Ryan's claim as one of the greatest submission grapplers of all time was erased.
Gordon Ryan submits Andre Galvao in the superfight!!!
https://t.co/cUguNgj4oA
Speaking about his position in the grand scheme of things and the UFC's efforts to expand into the grappling circuit in a recent episode of Straight Outta The Lair, Gordon Ryan commented:
"I think they're going to start pushing a lot more of their marketing and money into grappling. I think this is like their tester....after ADCC, everyone's eyes are kind of open now. This is like a test run to see how much revenue the biggest star can generate."
In return, Ryan has claimed that he expects the UFC to support his endeavor to the same extent that rising prospect Paddy Pimblett has received:
"All I want is the Paddy Pimblett marketing. This guy gets his Instagram deleted like every other week and he's got three million followers the next day. That's the kind of marketing I need from you guys."
Pimblett's conflict with Instagram dates back to his UFC debut when a dispute with a Manchester City fan in Bristol led to the suspension of his old account, which had over 150,000 followers.
Catch Gordon Ryan's comments below (36:00):
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Gordon Ryan talks about the importance of maintaining a personality outside of competition
It's safe to say that Gordon Ryan is the torchbearer of the modern-day grappling scene, and the American is striving to take the sport to new heights.
Besides being one of the most exciting competitors in the sport today, Ryan has the complete package owing to his imposing demeanor and silver-tongued mic skills.
Shedding light on the importance of maintaining a personality outside of competition in the aforementioned podcast, Ryan said:
"If you look at the people who are most well remembered and the highest paid athletes, it's people who do both. Guys like [Mike] Tyson, guys like [Floyd] Mayweather, guys like [Conor] McGregor who can perform inside competition and they have a way to create a draw before competition."