2019 KASAI Super Series

Sizing Up Gordon Ryan and Joao Gabriel Rocha Ahead of KASAI Match

Sizing Up Gordon Ryan and Joao Gabriel Rocha Ahead of KASAI Match

An analytical look at the main event of KASAI Super Series, featuring Gordon Ryan vs Joao Gabriel Rocha.

Feb 2, 2019 by Hywel Teague
Sizing Up Gordon Ryan and Joao Gabriel Rocha Ahead of KASAI Match
There are many questions around the match between Gordon Ryan and Joao Gabriel Rocha, which we've done our best to analyze and answer in the run-up to this match. 

Unlock this article, live events, and more with a subscription!

Sign Up

Already a subscriber? Log In

There are many questions around the match between Gordon Ryan and Joao Gabriel Rocha, which we've done our best to analyze and answer in the run-up to this match. 

A cold hard look at the numbers tells us a lot. Read on for a quick analysis of how Joao Gabriel and Gordon stack up against each other. 

Joao Gabriel Rocha 

6'3" | 263lbs | Soul Fighters 

  • 29 wins in 2017-2018
  • 12 via submission 
  • 41.3% finishing rate
  • Last five matches: W W W L W

Training out of the Lone Star Training Center in Dallas, TX, the Rio de Janeiro-born black belt has beaten a who's who of jiu-jitsu. A two-time ADCC silver medalist (2013 +99kg, 2015 absolute division) Rocha brings physicality and experience to this match. He outweighs Gordon by nearly 40lbs, and even though he is only 27 years old he has been training since he was 7 years of age. 

Record-keeping website BJJ Heroes has his grappling record as 29 wins and 10 losses since the beginning of 2017. 12 of those wins were by submission, a finishing rate of 41.3%. However, only 4 of those were matches were no-gi, with the rest in the gi. 

Gordon Ryan 

6'2" | 226lbs | Renzo Gracie NYC

  • 43 wins in 2017-2018
  • 34 via submission 
  • 79% finishing rate
  • Last five matches: W W W W W

The biggest and baddest member of John Danaher's "Death Squad" out of Renzo Gracie New York, Gordon Ryan has been incredibly active over the last two years. The heavyweight holds nothing back on the mat or on social media, and has stirred up plenty of recent controversy– with the notable exception of this match. In an almost unusual move, Gordon has refrained from trash-talking his opponent ahead of this match as a result of Joao's limited engagement on social media. As Gordon explained, there was little point creating beef without someone to beef with. 

With an incredible 42 wins in 48 matches since January 2017, Ryan has one of the highest finishing rates in the game: 79% of his matches end with his opponent tapping out.