Lucas Barbosa Plans To Unleash The 'Hulk' In Gordon Ryan's Hometown

The two-time IBJJF No-Gi World champion (2015 medium heavyweight, 2016 heavyweight) is excited for the duel with Gordon Ryan, even if he is heading into enemy territory: New Jersey is Gordon's home turf.

Apr 4, 2017 by Vitor Freitas

Lucas Barbosa Plans To Unleash The 'Hulk' In Gordon Ryan's Hometown

Lucas "Hulk" Barbosa has a commitment scheduled for Saturday, April 8. The Atos black belt will face Gordon Ryan in a no-gi submission-only superfight at Fight to Win Pro 30 in Bayville, New Jersey.

The two-time IBJJF No-Gi World champion (2015 medium heavyweight, 2016 heavyweight) is excited for the duel with Gordon, even if he is heading into enemy territory: New Jersey is Gordon's home turf.

I'll play my game. I'll be the 'Hulk' as always. I don't have a strategy for him; I will fight as I always fight. If he gives me anything, I'll take it, just like I do in my matches. For his part, the match will probably mean going for heelhooks -- I will impose my game and ready for it.

Hulk has been training at the Atos headquarters in San Diego since the week after he took silver at Pans on March 19.

"I was asked to fight him a few weeks before it, so I fought Pans and then started training without the gi," Barbosa said. "But I'm still training in the gi also to fight World Pro in Abu Dhabi. However, my emphasis is on the no-gi training right now."

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Lucas Hulk after winning the Five Light Heavyweight Super League in March 2017. Photo: Chase Smith / FloGrappling

Barbosa revealed that his coach Andre Galvao gave him some good advice for his next challenge.

Galvao knows a lot about jiu-jitsu, and he gave me several tips of what to do. We're training as normal, improving my techniques. About my opponent, I just know he likes to do heelhooks; all of his matches are like that. We are training like normal, and the strategy is to make it a war.

Should his campaign in New Jersey go successful, Barbosa is eyeing another destination: Finland in September for the ADCC World Championships.

"I hope to be invited to the ADCC," he said. "I am a two-time no-gi world champion and have all the tools to be there. I'm always fighting with the best, both gi and no-gi. Everyone knows that I am very tough in no-gi.

"I couldn't make the ADCC Trials in Brazil, but I believe with every victory I have in no-gi it'll be more likely to be called up to fight for ADCC. I hope they see my potential and see that I deserve to be there."

Watch Lucas Hulk Barbosa in action versus Gordon Ryan at Fight to Win Pro 30 LIVE or On Demand ONLY on FloGrappling!

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Lucas "Hulk" Barbosa in action against Enrico Cocco at Grappling Pro Championships. Photo: Chase Smith / FloGrappling

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