As we earlier wrote about, UFC head Dana White is putting together a BJJ league and looking to put on some of the best matches in world.
To do so, he’s going to have to get some of the biggest stars in the sport; however, there may be a problem with that.
PED use.
What is he going to do? Will Dana test or will he hope it doesn’t come up because if he signs Gordon Ryan (the biggest name in BJJ) it’s going to come up.
Back in December, we already watched him and Mikey Musumeci take shots at each other, which prompted Ryan to release a 30-minute video explaining (and finally admitting) that he uses PEDs.
“Number one, because they were legal in jiu-jitsu,” Gordon Ryan said. “Especially back then in 2016 when I started, there was no organizations in jiu-jitsu that even tested for PEDs. So they were clearly legal. Number two, people don’t remember anything other than the fact that you won or lost. No one talks about the fact that Khabib missed weight how many times? Six, seven, eight times? They talk about the fact that Khabib’s undefeated.
“The only thing that people care about is whether you won or whether you lost. They don’t care if you were injured, they don’t care if you were sick, they don’t care if you had a good camp, a bad camp. What everyone cares about, when everyone looks back in ten years, is ‘did this guy win or did this guy lose?’ That combined with the fact that steroids are legal in jiu-jitsu, it kinda made it a no brainer.”
Just an FYI: Khabib only missed weight once because he was sick.
Ryan also claimed that the only reason why the IBJJF started testing was because he was so dominant.
“The only place they’re not legal is in IBJJF, where they started testing after I won worlds. I won the No Gi Worlds and they were like ‘yeah, we have to make sure Gordon doesn’t win again’. So then they started testing,” he said. “I never competed in any event where steroids were illegal, where they said you couldn’t take them or we’re gonna test for these.”
New BJJ Show Featuring Ryan
Now, there are reports that Gordan Ryan is going to be part of the Dana White’s League, and a reality show will feature the BJJ superstar and UFC’s first exclusively signed grappler, Mikey Musumeci. There are no reports that Gordan Ryan will be a competitor. It just states that he will be involved.
“Even if it were to take 20 years off of my life, I wouldn’t regret doing the things that I’ve done to become the greatest of all time in this sport. Because ultimately when I die, my legacy is what’s going to be remembered,” Ryan said about his PED use. Well, he’s been pretty sick as of late and many wonder if his health issues are a result of his PED use.
Now, Gordan has said he can beat and has beaten the best naturally, so maybe we’ll see him compete, but the use of “PEDs” in BJJ is not exactly a secret.
Rumors of PED Use Even For Hobbyists
Look, even for those who take part in IBJJF tournaments, nobody is showing up at your home (or gym) two months before to have you tested. Many competitors at all belt levels use some PED to assist them in training, and to be honest, it’s not really a controversial issue for those who compete.
In fact, there’s a bit of an argument for it to be allowed, especially after matches. The wear and tear that grapplers and fighters experience is tough on the body. Why can’t they use peptides or PEDs to help their bodies recover or heal from injuries, especially if they’re under the watchful care of a doctor?
The use of PEDs is a hot topic in the sport, and it is sure to come up, especially if Dana signs high-level stars and they start losing to up-and-comers should he decide to test.
Then, if Gordan Ryan starts losing, holy hell, people are going to freak out.
