They faced off in the ADCC final, and now they’re back on the mats against each other… but this time in the gi. 

Gordon Ryan, the grappler known for his incredible success in no-gi competitions such as ADCC, EBI, KASAI Pro, and more, set clear his goals for what’s next. Now that he’s won everything there is to win in no-gi (at only 22 years old) he has set his sights on doing the same in the gi. 

With plans to compete in the gi in 2019, Ryan is spending the interim period in intense study of the intricacies of the gi game. And that involves recruiting former adversary Keenan Cornelius as a training partner. 

“Training with Keenan in the gi is brutal,” Ryan says. “I try to fight a technical battle and respond adequately to his gripping sequences but he's always 10 steps ahead wherever we are at — as of now.” 

The pair was spotted training together at the MusclePharm HQ in Los Angeles. Cornelius describes himself and Ryan as “homies,” and they have periodically trained together both gi and no-gi. 

A look at Ryan and Cornelius' secret training session... Photo: Jeffery Chu

“Training with [Cornelius] is great to gauge where I'm at both in my gi and no-gi progression,” Ryan says. “He is in my opinion the most highly skilled gi gripper in our sport. So while it's frustrating to train with him and be dominated so badly, it's also great to see what I'm currently aiming to beat.” 

Cornelius, sassy as ever, responded with tongue firmly in cheek: “He sucks really bad, but the kids got potential… maybe.” 

Behind The Dirt: Learn the key to Gordon Ryan's ADCC gold

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