Gordon Ryan: Winning By Decision, Points, Or Advantage Feels Like Losing

For multiple-time EBI champion and Danaher Death Squad member Gordon Ryan, winning is not simply winning.

“Winning vs WINNING: I didn’t enter this sport to be like everyone else,” Gordon wrote on Facebook. “I don’t try to just win. Winning is something I know is inevitable for me based on my dedication and coaching. The legends in this sport have all won. I’m not here to be like all the other legends. When I walk into a match I’m coming to finish you.”

In fact, according to Ryan, not only is winning by submission the far superior form of winning, any other “win” feels like losing to him:

For me at least, after winning a decision, points, or advantage, I feel just as badly as my opponent does for winning like that as he does for losing. I hate it. And this may not be the case for everyone. I’ve seen many win by advantage or win by ref decision and jump around like they just hit the lottery. This just isn’t me.

For Gordon Ryan, it’s not simply about getting the “W” next to his name; it’s about forcing his opponent to say “I give up.”

When I step on those mats for battle I want to put you in a position where you actively make the choice to decide “I’m giving up to you. You’ve won”. Being on the receiving end of this is the worst. But being the person on attack is priceless. There’s simply no better feeling than having a submission in deep where both you and you’re opponent are certain it will be finished. Under the bright lights and eyes of fans (And haters).

Granted, that win money may have meant something to Gordon when he was coming up the ranks and didn’t have a dollar to his name, but now that he is comfortable financially, the most important thing to him is getting the tap:

I came from nothing. Having to rely mostly on @garrytonon bank account and some money I saved up from throwing grass bags into a truck for a year. Now that I’m comfortable with money, it’s not about money, it’s not about just winning. It’s about doing something no-one else has done before. It’s about walking out there and making these “legends” bow to my technique and submit to my hands. It’s about becoming the most ruthless competitor to ever play this sport. I will continue my search for the best grapples to ever live. And I will try to submit every single one of them. Because that’s what I’m about. That’s what we’re about That’s what @danaherjohn has instilled In us as his students. And “we’re not here to take part, we’re here to take over” photo by @banejitsu

You can read his Facebook post below:

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