This article is part of our ADCC 2024 coverage. To get live results, play by play, and commentary, we’ll have a live updates article running all weekend.
A second superfight has been officially confirmed for ADCC 2024, as Gordon Ryan will be facing Felipe Pena for the long-awaited fourth match in their rivalry. Although the move is unprecedented, it isn’t a complete surprise to those that have been following closely as the information was leaked on the ADCC website several weeks ago. This is a historic moment for the promotion regardless though, as no reigning ADCC superfight champion has ever put competed twice at the same event before. Previous superfight champions have only ever defended their belt once every two years, and in fact only one man has made more than one successful title-defense.
Andre Galvao held the title for an incredible 9 years and won 4 superfights in a row, a record-setting streak that only came to an end in 2022. Galvao was actually dethroned by Gordon Ryan at the ADCC 2022 superfight, and ADCC 2024 was due to be Ryan’s first match as the reigning champion. This match was originally booked according to the traditions of ADCC, as the winner of the absolute division at ADCC 2022 was given the opportunity to challenge for the superfight title. Immediately after beating Andre Galvao, Gordon Ryan had his face-off with Yuri Simoes and set up his first title-defense ready for 2024.
Although that match with Simoes is still going ahead as planned on the second day of ADCC 2024, fans will now be able to look forward to Gordon Ryan vs Felipe Pena 4 on the first day too. This is great news for spectators, as Ryan has already beaten Simoes on four separate occasions and that particular superfight was not as hotly-anticipated as they have been in the past. Pena currently holds a 2-1 record over Ryan though and is still the only person to beat him more than once, and the only person to submit him at the professional level.
Pena set the stage for this rivalry by winning his first match against Ryan by submission back in 2016 and beating him on points at ADCC 2017 to win the absolute title. Their third match took place at Who’s Number One 14 in 2022, and Ryan managed to get his first win over Pena by submission. There was plenty of controversy surrounding that match though; as it took place immediately after the death of Leandro Lo, who was a close friend to Pena. The pair were already supposed to have had their fourth match in fact, as it was booked for another Who’s Number One event the beginning of 2023.
That match was supposed to give Ryan the opportunity to level the score against Pena, but he withdrew from the match on just a few days’ notice due to an illness he suffered during the days prior. This was never rescheduled by the promotion, partially because Ryan has only been able to compete sporadically since then. With just one win over Patrick Gaudio in 2023 and one recent win over Josh Saunders so far in 2024, Ryan has barely been able to compete at all. His matches against Pena and Simoes at ADCC 2024 will represent a huge step up in the frequency of competition as a result.
ADCC announced the news that Gordon Ryan vs Felipe Pena 4 was going to take place at ADCC 2024 in a recent post to their official Instagram account:
