Analysis: Gordon Silences The Doubters At ADCC With 5 Subs
Analysis: Gordon Silences The Doubters At ADCC With 5 Subs
Gordon Ryan made good on his promise to prove that he was the best in the world, and he did it in style.
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The landscape in submission grappling was forever transformed after ADCC 2017.
For those dusting off the cobwebs, it was nearly two years ago when Gordon Ryan made good on his promise to prove that he was the best in the world – and though it's true he came up just short of the absolute title, he did capture the 88kg gold medal and silenced a whole lot of critics who said he wouldn't last outside of a tournament with submission-only rules.
Watch Gordon Ryan's 88kg Gold Medal Performance
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What made Gordon so successful?
At the time, Gordon was held by many as "just" a leglocker, but the Danaher student came to Finland prepared with a variety of tools at his disposal: His wrestling was sharp and he displayed shockingly effective passing.
The versatility of Gordon's game saw him submit a total of FIVE opponents (weight + absolute), with only two of them coming the way of heelhook.
Gordon Ryan's Key Stats: Wrestling + Subs Are The Order Of The Day
| Opponent | Method Victory | Match Time | TDns | Tdns Conc |
| Dillon Danis | Decision | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Romulo Barral | Sub - RNC | 4:37 | 1 | 0 |
| Xande Ribeiro | Decision | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| Keenan Cornelius | Sub - Guillotine | 11:40 | 2 | 0 |
| ABSOLUTE DIV | ||||
| Cyborg | Sub - Heel Hook | 2:40 | 0 | 0 |
| Craig Jones | sub - Arm Triangle | 6:51 | 0 | 0 |
| Mahamed Aly | sub - Heel Hook | 2:10 | 0 | 0 |
| Felipe Pena | LOSS | 20:00 | 1 | 0 |
Video Evidence That Gordon Ryan's Wrestling Is Better Than You Think
Gordon's 'Secret' Weapon: The Float Pass
Gordon enters the float pass on Xande and Keenan.
The float pass system is an exceptional technique to use against leglockers and traditional guard players alike. The pass pins Gordon's opponent's shin and hips to the floor; at the same time Gordon posts above the head with his hands on the floor or pulls on the back of the had to limit mobility.
Once settled in the float passing position, it's difficult for the guard player to move, let alone set up any kind of attacks. Conversely, Gordon is literally "floating" above his opponent and has a multitude of options for finishing the pass, including a back step, leg weaves, and knee cut variations.
More floating sequences with leg pummeling from Gordon. It's true that Gordon didn't pass Xande's guard here, but the float pass is clearly at work.
While it's true that Gordon didn't invent the concept of a float pass (Vagner Rocha and Caio Terra are also well-known for this particular style of passing), it was a MASSIVE part of his success at ADCC.
An Equal Opportunist Submission Hunter
We've spent a lot of time talking about Gordon's wrestling and passing... but his reputation as a consummate leglocker was also shown to be warranted. He heel-hooked Cyborg and Mahamed Aly with relative ease as he made his way through the absolute division, and nearly all opponents did whatever they could to avoid getting stuck in any kind of leg engagements
But unfortunately for them, that was no the only way Gordon finished his opponents. In fact, three out of his five finishes came from chokes (RNC, Arm Triangle, and Guillotine).
Watch: Gordon Ryan 88g + Absolute Division Submission HL
The Birth Of A Legend
Though Ryan fell short to Felipe Pena in the absolute final in 2017, there's no denying that the athlete from NYC's performance at ADCC served as a graduation ceremony for Ryan: he could no longer be ignored by the sport's elite and had solidified himself beyond all doubts as being one of the very best grapplers on the planet.
What new tricks will Gordon Bring to ADCC this year... we'll find out in a few short weeks.
