Footage has recently emerged of Gordon Ryan competing in the gi against a black belt, Jordan Tabor, despite being just a purple belt himself at the time. Although Ryan has made a huge name for himself as a no gi competitor, he did also compete in the gi many times during his journey through the colored belt ranks. It was actually around this time that Ryan was able to start breaking through to the highest level of the sport, as he frequently competed against more experienced grapplers at any chance he got. This is just one of several examples of him doing that, but it is one of the more impressive performances.
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Gordon Ryan vs Jordan Tabor – Gi
This particular edition of AGL took place on May 16th, 2015 and the opening round of the gi absolute saw Gordon Ryan matched up against Jordan Tabor. The match starts with Tabor pulling guard and Ryan quickly steps inside to start passing. He smashed a de la riva hook to the side and starts piling on the pressure, pummelling his legs repeatedly and digging for the underhook to keep Tabor from generating any offense. Tabor does well to retain guard and manages to secure closed guard eventually, while Ryan sits down in order to force it open before returning to a standing passing position.
Ryan gets to work again and Tabor tries to roll through for a kneebar, but that gives Ryan the opportunity to dive over the top and take his back. In a move that might surprise those who haven’t seen Gordon Ryan competing in the gi before, he then starts fighting for control of Tabor’s lapel. Ryan uses the lapel grip to set up a bow and arrow choke, sitting off to the side and controlling the pants in order to finish. Tabor taps shortly afterward and Ryan gets the submission win, signalling a sign of things to come for his career as an elite grappler.
The full video of Gordon Ryan competing in the gi against black belt Jordan Tabor as a purple belt himself was uploaded to the official YouTube channel of Lanky Fight Gear:
