"They have this f***ing extra gear" - Joe Rogan compares Gordon Ryan to legendary Rickson Gracie
Joe Rogan is all praise for five-time ADCC champion Gordon Ryan after 'King' defeated grappling legend Andre Galvao in their super fight at ADCC 2022. Rogan noted that the 27-year-old grappling sensation did not even need to sink in a complete rear-naked choke to make a legend like Galvao tap.
Going by Ryan's dominance in NoGi grappling at the moment, Rogan compared him to BJJ legend Rickson Gracie. Son of grandmaster Helio Gracie, Rickson was a pioneer of the sport in its budding stages in the '80s and '90s.
According to Rogan, Ryan has similarities with Rickson Gracie at his peak, whom many consider to be the greatest BJJ practitioner of all time. The UFC color commentator recently said on the JRE podcast:
"Like everybody that rolled with Rickson had the same statement. They would all say the same thing. They'd be like, 'He's the best. He's the best'. That's what they say about Gordon. There's these guys in sports, for whatever reason man, they have this f***ing extra gear.
And they can put in more focus and more dedication and more energy and more intelligence and they could formulate better strategies and they're more effective about with their time management. And they don't f*** themselves up in their personal lives... It's really rare that you find someone that can do what that guy is doing."
Watch Joe Rogan compare Ryan to Gracie at the 12:55 mark in the video below:
Joe Rogan is a sponsor for Gordon Ryan
Rogan's love for all kinds of combat sports is well known. A longtime jiu-jitsu practitioner, Joe Rogan has always been a staunch supporter of Gordon Ryan. The UFC color commentator also once hailed Ryan as the pound-for-pound greatest of all time.
Rogan was even an official sponsor of 'King' for the ADCC World Championships 2022. The UFC color commentator also went on to sponsor ADCC itself. Making the announcement, Ryan wrote on Instagram:
"Happy to announce my new sponsor for ADCC. A brand and a friend I stand behind, no matter how many times he's canceled 😂. Thanks for being a real dude on and off camera, and giving voices to people who would otherwise have none. JRE will also be an official sponsor of @adcc_official this year. @joeroganexperience @joerogan"