In a recent interview on the podcast of MMA coach Tim Welch, rising grappling superstar Nick “Nicky Rod” Rodriguez discussed his journey to becoming the new millionaire after winning the $1 million grand prize at the historic Craig Jones Invitational (CJI) tournament.
During the conversation, Nicky Rod revealed that he had previously called out Gordon Ryan for a match, offering a $50,000 purse. However, the renowned grappler dismissed it, saying the money was not enough. Undeterred, Nicky Rod then upped the stakes, challenging Ryan to a $1 million winner-take-all match.
“A few months ago, maybe even last year, I called him out for a match. I was like, ‘$50,000, let’s do it,’ and he was like, ‘Oh, not enough money. I’m a millionaire. I need more money,'” Nicky Rod said. “I was like, ‘Alright, well how about a million?’ And now I still have no answer.”
Nicky Rod, who is known for his relentless pressure and powerful grappling style, believes he has what it takes to defeat the pound-for-pound king of grappling. The Texas resident said he would prefer the match to take place under the CJI ruleset, which he believes eliminates many of the “referee interference” issues present in other formats.
“After competing in CJI, it’s going to be difficult to compete in any other rule set. Just besides the rule set, the walls up is incredible. You’re talking about no ref interference. There’s so many times you get to a great position, guy scoots out of bounds, they restart you standing or restart you in not as good of a position. The walls take out all the ref interference, and that’s what you want. You want true competition, true event,” Nicky Rod explained.
With his newfound wealth and growing reputation, Nicky Rod is firmly establishing himself as one of the top attractions in the grappling world. The question remains: will Gordon Ryan finally accept the $1 million challenge, or will Nicky Rod be left waiting for a response?
