Gordon Ryan announces retirement from competition due to health issues
Gordon Ryan is walking away from jiu-jitsu competition due to health issues.
The grappling legend announced he will no longer compete due to ongoing health issues that have compromised his ability to train. "The King" says recurring stomach issues and staph infections prompt dry heaving whenever he pushes himself in the gym.
Ryan, 30, is known for winning multiple grappling competitions, including IBJJF and ADDC, among others. He's also helped train some of the biggest stars in the UFC, like former two-division champion Jon Jones, in preparation for his heavyweight title bout against Stipe Miocic.
Ryan is widely considered to be an elite talent on the mats, but he will see his days in competition come to an end earlier than anticipated. While he is walking away from the sport as a competitor, Ryan intends to continue to help grow the sport by passing on his knowledge to the next generation of grapplers, namely at Kings Jiu-Jitsu in Austin, Texas.
Read Ryan's full statement posted to Instagram below:
"Today marks 10 years at black belt, 10 years on top of the sport, and the probable end to my competitve career. As many of you know, ive had this debilitating and seemingly unfixable stomach issue since recurring staph infections/antibiotics wiped out my good gut biome. Without going into too much boring detail, the problem has gone through phases of better and worse over the years, and has now morphed into a multitude of new problems, including me just getting sick or staph whenever I train hard and compromise my immune system in any way. Because of these issues, I have not been able to train or lift hard since January of 2024, as i just begin dry heaving immediately when i do. I competed in ADCC with no camp, at 10% of how I should have been operating, and i have seen no improvement in my condition since. This, of course, has been immensely frustrating, as my technical skills are far better than ever,my body is otherwise very healthy, and im only 30 (10 years from my prime).
"I have so much more left to give if i could just fix this one issue. Im still on the mats almost everyday, but not able to do what my mind tells my body. Because of this, I believe it is best I put my focuses elsewhere for now as I try to remedy my stomach, and possibly return one day, pending my health and assessment of relative physical skills at the time, as my knowledge is unmatched. For now, i can confidently say, i am done. I will spend the next few years building @kingsway_hq to its student capacity, opening a global affiliation program, helping the athletes achieve all of their goals and dreams, and sharing all of knowledge with the world. After that, who knows. There are far too many people involved to thank, but you know who you are. To the fans, thank you. The thought of selling out t mobile arena for a jiu jitsu event was unheard of when I started training. We truly made this sport something great, and you all have made me genuinely wealthy along the way. This wouldnt have been possible without you all and your constant support. Thank you to everyone involved, and I hope to be back… especially for 2 matches with Vinny and a last dance with felipe. Until the time comes 👑"
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Jiu-jitsu legend retires due to ongoing health issues
