A few days before his first UFC on Fight Pass Invitational super fight, the greatest grappler of all time Gordon Ryan shared his thoughts on the recent UFC partnership with professional Jiu-Jitsu and how it will reflect positively on submission grappling worldwide.
UFC on Fight Pass Invitational 3 is set for December 15, and in the main event, Gordon Ryan will face off against one of the rare people that hold a victory in grappling over him, Vinny Magalhaes. The UFC has decided to jump on the professional submission grappling bandwagon after seeing the success of ONE and other promotions, and the UFC partnership is a big deal for professional Jiu-Jitsu on a global scale.
With the greatest (and largest) combat sports promotion ever picking up submission grappling to both organize in live events and stream, professional Jiu-Jitsu is on the brink of another huge step in its growth as a potential profession for hopeful grapplers around the world.
Speaking to the media in a press conference preceding UFC On Fight Pass Invitational 3, Ryan supported the new UFC partnership:
“I think this is a big jump for the sport as a whole. First, it was a crossover between wrestling and jiu-jitsu… But now you’re having the crossover between mixed martial arts and jiu-jitsu. I think ADCC was the first step, having 13 000 people watching a live event.. I think the UFC partnership with grapplers is gonna catapult the sport into a new realm.”
With the largest ADCC event ever still fresh in our minds, and the rising popularity of no-gi submission grappling matches in ONE, as well as BJJ-only promotions, it was only a question of time when the UFC will jump on board.
Gordon Ryan is one of the very few people that only do grappling for a living and earns decently as a Jiu-Jitsu athlete. Unfortunately, what he makes is peanuts compared to boxing, football, or basketball athletes, and even MMA stars.
A UFC partnership means that professional Jiu-Jitsu is going to reach much more people, and possibly create a brighter future for other athletes outside of a handful of select GOATs that can make a living as submission grappling professionals.
