We’re psyched for the upcoming match on KASAI Pro between Gordon Ryan and two-time ADCC and two-time IBJJF World No-Gi champion Yuri Simoes.

But we almost got a very different match: Gordon revealed to us that his opponent was initially supposed to be none other than Erberth Santos. 

“Erberth also actually asked Mo (Jassim) for a match with me,” says Gordon. 23-year-old Brazilian Erberth Santos is, of course, the black belt IBJJF 2017 World champion and 2016 Abu Dhabi World Pro champion. 

An explosive and dangerous competitor, like Gordon Erberth has enjoyed a meteoric journey through the highest levels of the sport, but their paths have never come close to crossing. 

And while Gordon is super excited for his upcoming match with Simoes, he would welcome the chance to face off with Santos too. 

“I’ll be happy to compete against Erberth, I don’t think Erberth stands a chance against me. I think I’m way better than him, without the gi at least, in every position there is. I hope someone can translate this to Portuguese for him.”

We got you covered, Gordon.

"Ficarei feliz em competir contra Erberth. Acho que ele não tem chance nenhum comigo. Eu acho que sou muito melhor do que ele, pelo menos sem pano, em toda posição que existe. Espero que alguém pode traduzir isso para português para ele".

UPDATE: Erberth responds...