Gordon Ryan and Andre Galvao have been going back and forth on social media for quite some time, and it seems as though things have finally come to a head when the two crossed paths backstage at Who’s Number One. It all started after the final match of the latest Who’s Number One event, where Ryan’s teammate Craig Jones defeated ATOS black belt Ronaldo Jr by heelhook. After the match ended, everything seemed pretty cordial and respectable as the two teams met on the mats to shake hands, and Ryan extended his hand to Galvao despite some of the recent beef he had with several members of ATOS. That was where it started when Galvao decided that he’d refuse the handshake and flip Ryan off instead.
While that was definitely a moment worth remembering and a clear sign that there was no love lost between the pair of ADCC double champions, things got even worse when Andre Galvao caught back up with Gordon Ryan backstage. As he approached Ryan and the two started to argue, Ryan fired off two quick slaps to Galvao’s face and it was clear that the young grappler was in no mood to argue. As he continued walking to give his post-fight interview, Galvao continued following him and the pair then exchanged even more heated words as the night’s other competitors started to be attracted to the chaos.
The footage and images of the exchange were posted to FloGrappling’s official Instagram account, and several high-profile names in the BJJ community have already weighed in:
Orlando Sanchez: AND THATS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TALK TOUGH ONLINE BUT YOUR NOT ABOUT THAT LIFE OMFG CONGRATS GORDON RYAN FOR DESTROYING THE ENTIRE ATOS NAME WITH 2 MONSTER BITCH SLAPS us
Kendall Reusing: After watching the video of the loudest two slaps I’ve ever heard I actually can’t believe there wasn’t a real fight like how
Lucas Rocha: Disrespectful, unnecessary, unprofessional
Mo Jassim: This was very unfortunate but if anyone puts their hands on me I am knocking them the f*ck out.
Mo Jassim: After seeing Gordon check and slap/hit Galvao twice I give Andre mad credit for showing restraint. I wouldn’t be as level headed. You can hear Andre say he wanted to talk man to man and squash all this drama.
Nathalie Ribeiro: They were about to fight for free
Regardless of where you line up and what your opinions are on the situation, it’s easy to see why so many fans are eager to see Andre Galvao return at ADCC 2020 and defend his Superfight Championship against Gordon Ryan. Although, seeing as he’s recently asked for a million dollars in order to sign on for the match, it seems unlikely that it will come to fruition unless this recent incident has been enough to encourage him to take the match regardless.
