Gordon Ryan Is On His Way To Clearing Out The P4P Top 10
Gordon Ryan Is On His Way To Clearing Out The P4P Top 10
On March 26th, Gordon Ryan will fight his third straight opponent in the P4P top 10 list when he takes on Vagner Rocha at WNO.
Gordon Ryan has been at the top of our No-Gi Pound-For-Pound list for years, without a loss in his last 40 matches, racking up a 38-0-2 record going back to 2018. The three time ADCC champion has been on a rampage, taking on all comers and usually finishing with a submission, holding a 81% submission rate in 83 wins so far in his career.
While much has been made about some of the sports top athletes refusing to take on the undisputed top dog in competition, that hasn't stopped Gordon from piling up wins over the top no-gi competitors in the game today. When he takes on Vagner Rocha at WNO on March 26th, he will be taking on his third straight opponent in the P4P top ten and ranked number one in his weight class.
The P4P top ten contains three athletes from the DDS (Gordon, Garry Tonon and Craig Jones), his last three opponents (Vagner, Roberto Jimenez and Matheus Diniz), two athletes way too small for Gordon to fight (Kennedy Maciel and Geo Martinez) plus Cyborg and Kaynan Duarte. If Gordon does manage to defeat Vagner on March 26th, he will have achieved the insane acheivement of defeating 30% of the sports P4P top ten in three straight matches.
Gordon has looked nothing short of dominant in his recent WNO performances, and the odds will no doubt have him as the betting favorite heading into the next WNO. We are witnessing greatness in the sport that may never be matched again, let's take a look at his run heading into the Vagner match.
Gordon Ryan vs Roberto Jimenez
Roberto was not only ranked P4P but also number one at middleweight when Gordon stepped in on short notice after his brother Nicky was injured heading into their match. Although only 20, Roberto already has wins over Vagner, Nicky Rod and both Ruotolo brothers in no-gi competition.
In typical Gordon fashion, he made it look easy against the outmatched Roberto. Gordon even called his shot moments before the match, proclaiming that he would finish the match via armbar from the mount, which he did.
Props to Roberto for taking on the top athlete in no-gi grappling on short notice and giving up a size advantage, but Gordon deserves full credit for this win as well. Roberto has proven time and time again how dangerous he is, against athletes of any size, and is yet another impressive name added to Gordon's hit list.
Gordon Ryan vs Matheus Diniz
This was a matchup of two reigning ADCC champions, with Gordon ranked first at 99kg while Diniz held the same distinction at 88kg going into the match. While holding less of a size advantage here than he did against Roberto, Gordon still dominated from start to finish, mounting the ADCC champ before finishing him with a heel hook.
This match served to proved just how far Gordon has separated himself from the pack, taking on a legit top five P4P opponent and defeating him with ease. It might have hurt Gordon's chances getting matches with the top athletes at light-heavy and heavyweight though, seeing him dismantle one the 205 lb divisions best like that.
Is Vagner Next?
Enter a new challenger, current top ranked middleweight and 7th in the P4P list Vagner Rocha. Vagner will be giving up about 20-25 lbs here, but is no doubt one of the most game competitors on the scene today.
Vagner has proven to be near unsweepable and hard to submit in his career, and has wins at WNO already over Jon Blank and Ronaldo Junior. Size disadvantage or not, Vagner is not one to back down and is going to go after Gordon from start to finish.
If Gordon wins this one, there aren't many options left who are currently competing. As opponent after opponent tries to either price themselves out or request unrealistic rules to avoid a match with "The King," we need to cherish these moments where a top ranked competitor such as Vagner has the guts to step up and face Gordon.
Watch WNO: Gordon Ryan vs Vagner Rocha Live On Demand On FloGrappling