Gordon Ryan says he ‘felt really bad’ leaving ONE Championship, still open to grappling Ruotolo brothers
- Ryan, considered one of the best no-gi grapplers ever, signed with ONE in 2021, but never competed with the promotion, and is now out of his contract
- The 27-year-old says ONE star Tye Ruotolo has ‘false confidence’ but remains open to that match-up if the terms are right
Gordon Ryan has shed some light on his exit from ONE Championship.
The 27-year-old American, widely considered the best no-gi submission grappler in the world, signed with ONE to much fanfare in early 2021, with plans to compete in grappling matches and potentially mixed martial arts further down the line.
However, his ONE deal expired before he ever set foot in the Circle.
Speaking ahead of his clash with Vinny Magalhaes, set to headline the UFC Fight Pass Invitational on December 15 in Las Vegas, Ryan explained why he never competed under the ONE banner, pointing to his long-time struggle with gastroparesis – a stomach condition – as the main culprit.
“I signed the contract with ONE and then Covid happened, and before I was able to compete, my stomach just got so bad that I stopped competing completely,” he said at a press conference in Las Vegas late last week.
“By the time I was actually ready to compete, we were in different places with the contracts and everything, and we didn’t re-sign the contract.