BJJ wiz Gordon Ryan gave former 'World's Strongest Man' Thor Bjornsson a rare moment of feeling small.
Rolling with Gordon Ryan is a tall order for anyone, especially someone of his size and build. Ryan, 29, is considered one of the main faces of submission wrestling, having won multiple ADCC World Championships and dominated his opponents.
Despite the challenges that come with wrestling Ryan, former 'World's Strongest Man' winner Thor Bjornsson met up with Ryan in 2022 to see for himself. Just hours before Ryan took on Nicky Rodriguez at UFC Fight Pass Invitational 3, Bjornsson competed live with Ryan.
At 6 feet tall, Bjornsson is a colossus compared to the 6 feet tall Ryan. But despite the size difference, Bjornsson was the overpowered side in his role with Ryan.
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Gordon Ryan chokeslammed Thor Bjornsson during a viral grappling roll
Ryan had no trouble switching positions quickly against Bjornsson, despite the obvious physical challenges presented by the 2019 World's Strongest Man. Ryan took Bjornsson down repeatedly and humiliated him on the mats.
In a 2022 appearance on The MMA Hour, Ryan responded to rolling with Bjornsson.
'Thor is a lot bigger and taller. Obviously from any position you will be touching the strongest man ever, but believe it or not, the mechanics and body position mean a lot more than overall strength,” Ryan said. “When you misplace strength, you tend to not feel as strong as you are. I've trained with so many guys who are so strong in the gym, but they feel like kids on the mats.
“This is perfect for me now because every time I get into an argument with some idiot who says, 'I'm just too strong for that s*** to work on me,' I can say, 'Well, I literally grabbed the strongest person in the world, and I can assure you it worked.'” (h/t MMA Fighting)
Gordon Ryan is a major reason for the growth of submission grappling
Ryan was a prominent influence in UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones' recent fight camp for UFC 309. Despite calls for him to commit full-time to MMA, Ryan is content to continue setting standards and breaking records in submission wrestling .
In response to the Ryan/Bjornsson role, UFC Hall of Famer Georges St-Pierre singled out Ryan as one of the few men on the planet who intimidates him. St-Pierre has spent time training with Ryan under coach John Danaher in Texas.
As 2025 approaches, Ryan is looking forward to another eventful year in submission wrestling. As for Bjornsson, even though he is still considered one of the strongest men in the world, Ryan physically humiliated him in a way rarely experienced in his life.
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