Gordon Ryan has been known for some controversial opinions in the past, and recently he weighed in on the possibility of USADA getting involved with the competitive BJJ world. The presence of PEDs in Jiu-Jitsu isn’t a new concept and it’s something that people have been discussing for some time but as the sport becomes more mainstream, the debate has attracted more attention. Some of the more high-profile figures in the sport have complained about the frequent use of PEDs, while many others have chosen to remain quiet in the topic. Very few competitors have been openly in favor of using PEDs in the sport, and it’s more of an open secret than public admission.
Ryan however has been open about not wanting to be tested and he’s definitely not alone, even if few other competitors will come out and say the same thing. Something has changed in recent years though, as the UFC has started to get involved in professional grappling via UFC Fight Pass Invitational events. Because the UFC has an ongoing relationship with USADA, the idea of USADA becoming involved with professional grappling appears closer than ever. Gordon Ryan recently sat down with Bruce Buffer for an interview and the conversation eventually turned to the idea of USADA being involved in UFC Fight Pass Invitational events:
“I think if USADA steps into, like, Fight Pass events, for example, it’s gonna ruin Fight Pass events. And the reason is, is that because if you’re competing in a Fight Pass event or if you’re competing on a Fight Pass Invitational and you’re getting randomly tested, that means now that you’re the only person in the sport who’s getting tested. And a person who’s competing on Flograppling for example, or ONE Championship, isn’t getting tested. And so that means you have to be competing natural for those specific events where everyone else in the sport can be on PEDs. That puts you at an extreme disadvantage for no reason unless you’re getting paid exorbitant amounts of money.”
It’s hard to deny the truth behind what Gordon Ryan is saying too, the professional BJJ scene is so fractured that USADA getting involved with one organization isn’t going to have much of an effect. Unless the entire sport decides to change it’s stance on using PEDs then it’s impossible for the sport to ever become a clean one. If one BJJ promotion starts using USADA then Gordon Ryan was pretty clear on what he thought the outcome would be for them:
“If USADA comes into just one organization, it’s gonna pretty much crush that organization and athletes will just not compete in that organization. I definitely think USADA coming in would have to be across the board rather than just one organization or another.”
The interview that Bruce Buffer did with Gordon Ryan where he explained his thoughts on USADA getting involved in the BJJ world was uploaded to his official YouTube channel:
