Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu star downplays Khabib and Chimaev's quality, stating: 'They would be easily defeated'

Gordon Ryan in a photo shoot. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/GordonRyan

Considered by many to be the best jiu-jitsu fighter in history, Gordon Ryan surprised and shocked fans and professionals in combat sports with a controversial opinion. The American, who did not compete in the 2025 season due to health problems and plans to return to action this season, was not at all impressed with the grappling level of... Khabib Nurmagomedov e Khamzat Shimaev.

In an interview with the YouTube channel 'Overdogs', Ryan downplayed the quality of the former UFC lightweight king (up to 70,3 kg) and the middleweight champion (up to 83,9 kg). According to the American, the duo's success in MMA has more to do with their opponents' inability to stop their pressure game, takedowns, and ground control. So much so that 'King' asserted that Chimaev and Khabib, who have never lost in MMA, wouldn't be able to dominate in grappling and would be easy prey for true grappling specialists.

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“The style that Khabib and Chimaev use, they aren’t the best freestyle wrestlers in the world. They aren’t the best jiu-jitsu fighters in the world. If you put these guys in ADCC, they would be defeated quite easily. What they are doing is submission grappling for MMA. They are considered the best MMA fighters. They have the ability to take down opponents,” said the jiu-jitsu legend.

“They have the ability to follow them in transitions, make them carry their body weight, hold them on the ground, take them down again when they try to get up, hit them on the way up and cause significant damage with punches or finish them from the top. That type of jiu-jitsu, submission wrestling, where a guy can take people down and then cause damage from the top and control them on the ground is the most important thing,” he concluded.

Ryan's status in grappling

Gordon Ryan, 30, is already a grappling legend. The American has collected numerous titles in grappling and honed his jiu-jitsu skills under the renowned coach John Danaher. In his career, he has been a seven-time ADCC champion and has defeated big names in the sport such as André Galvão, Craig Jones, Felipe Preguiça, and Kaynan Duarte. Marcus BuchechaNick Rodriguez, Yuri Simões, among others.