- The Gordon Ryan Toehold dispute exploded online after both parties accused each other of breaking their agreement.
- Gordon Ryan claims his sponsorship with Toehold collapsed after they failed to honor a promised equity deal and monthly payments.
- Toehold fires back, accusing Ryan of ghosting a $1 million investment he publicly committed to.
- The public feud now includes screenshots, audio recordings, and mutual accusations of deception and bad faith.
“They Promised Ownership. I Got Ghosted.”
The Gordon Ryan Toehold sponsorship dispute has taken Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s most dominant athlete and pitted him publicly against one of its flashiest luxury brands. What began as a promising collaboration now looks like a business arrangement gone completely sideways.
Ryan, who once praised Toehold’s handmade flip-flops and pledged to invest in the company, is now accusing them of skipping payments, delaying legal agreements, and failing to deliver a promised stake in the business.
“I usually don’t make announcements until contracts are signed, but I operated in good faith because of how outstanding the product was.”
– Gordon Ryan –
He says he received none of the $5,000 monthly stipend promised to him. His posts on Instagram include a timeline of broken promises, screenshots of messages, and even audio recordings.
Flip-Flops, Promises, and Legal Ghosting
Toehold’s co-founder AG Gregoroff is heard in one leaked voice note explaining why paperwork hadn’t been finalized.
“Our attorney is on one of those f***ing world traveling, f***ing finding himself journeys… he took off for three months.”
– AG Gregoroff –
The Gordon Ryan Toehold sponsorship dispute escalated after Ryan shared this audio, claiming it reflected months of dodging and excuses. In other messages, Gregoroff allegedly admits the company was on the brink of shutting down.
“We’re shutting down the headquarters and putting Toehold on life support.”
– AG Gregoroff –
That admission—while possibly informal—gave Ryan ammunition to walk away. But Toehold has a very different story.
“You Promised a Million. We Got Nothing.”
In a formal public response, Toehold flipped the script. According to their statement, Ryan was the one who didn’t keep his word. The brand claims that Ryan publicly pledged a $1 million investment in their company but never followed through.
“Gordon publicly announced he would invest $1 million in Toehold. Despite months of effort, we never received the funds or a signed agreement.”
– Toehold statement –
They went further, suggesting this may not be the first time Ryan has flamed out of a sponsorship deal without delivering on his end.
A Messy Breakup
The Gordon Ryan Toehold sponsorship dispute quickly reached Reddit and BJJ corners of Instagram, where reactions were predictably mixed.
Some backed Ryan’s stance, citing Toehold’s vague legal strategy and “vaporware” equity pitch. Others felt Ryan had used his platform to intimidate a smaller brand after he failed to fulfill his own obligations.
“If you say you’re investing a million publicly and then bail, that’s on you. But if the brand couldn’t even pay him $5K a month, they were never serious.”
– Reddit user, r/bjj –
In a sport where money is scarce and sponsorships are often handshake agreements, this level of transparency, intentional or not, is rare.
Bigger Than Flip-Flops: BJJ Sponsorship’s Growing Pains
At the heart of the Gordon Ryan Toehold sponsorship dispute is a bigger question: how professional is the business side of Jiu-Jitsu?
With few regulations and limited industry structure, athletes and brands often operate without the oversight or legal diligence seen in other sports. That opens the door to breakdowns like this one.
“This isn’t a sport where you can fake the business side forever. Eventually the receipts show up.”
Ryan is no stranger to controversy, but he’s also a proven promotional asset. Toehold took a calculated risk aligning with him—and now both sides are walking away damaged.
Gordon Ryan Toehold Dispute: No Winners, Just Receipts
Whether you side with Gordon Ryan or believe Toehold’s counter-story, the Gordon Ryan Toehold sponsorship dispute is more than just a broken partnership—it’s a cautionary tale. In a sport trying to grow into the mainstream, deals like this require contracts, not direct messages. And until that shift happens, more blowups like this are bound to follow.
