Ryan claims he was promised part ownership in the company years ago, a deal that never materialized despite what he describes as verbal agreements.
“I usually don’t make announcements until contracts are signed, but I operated in good faith because of how outstanding the product was,” Ryan wrote on Instagram.
Indeed Ryan did make a post announcing his $1M investment in the brand though many speculated the ‘investment’ was made with constant shout outs and not with actual cash.
According to Ryan’s new statement, Toehold founder AG Gregoroff repeatedly assured him that ownership contracts would be signed and encouraged Ryan to end relationships with other gear sponsors, promising compensation that Ryan alleges was never delivered.
“When I ended my contract, he then gave me the run around about how he couldn’t pay me, and also gave me the run around about why we couldn’t sign a contract making me an owner,” Ryan stated.
The situation reportedly reached a breaking point when Ryan facilitated a potential investment opportunity with former ADCC promoter Mo Jassim. Ryan alleges Gregoroff misrepresented communications with this potential investor, claiming Gregoroff told him Mo had requested “a $30k dollar forensic audit” when, according to screenshots Ryan posted, Mo had only asked for “basic expenses” information.
Ryan claims his involvement doubled the company’s profits and following during their collaboration period. In his statement, he proposed a payment plan to Gregoroff to resolve the situation amicably, which he says was declined.
“I’m a simple man. When I am trying to build a relationship, I put up with a lot, I work in good faith, give people the benefit of the doubt, and ALWAYS over deliver,” Ryan wrote.
There are speculations that Gordon Ryan partnership previously led to the bankruptcy of BJJ brand Hypnotik.
The statement has garnered significant attention in the combat sports community, with several notable figures commenting on the situation. Fellow competitor Craig Jones wrote:
“Toe hold call me, let’s sell some silver back gorilla th0ngs,”
Toehold is known for using rare animal hyde, with prices in the hundreds of dollars. The company uses vegetable-tanned leather and exotic materials in some products.
They were also to familiar to everyone in BJJ space by tasteless ads that featured adult type entertainers and were broadcast by Ryan to his audience of all ages.
Prior to founding Toehold, Gregoroff worked in various fields including fitness sales management, military diving contracts, and Apple retail. The company prides itself on American manufacturing, sourcing leather from an Amish tannery in Pennsylvania.
AG Gregoroff openly shared his criminal history in an interview on the “Inside True Crime” podcast. Arrested at 18 when police raided his uncle’s home, Gregoroff was charged due to legal residency technicalities and accepted a felony plea deal, serving time in county jail. He described volatile incidents behind bars. Years later, all charges were dismissed after a successful lawsuit by his uncle, wiping his record clean. He also recounted a later physical altercation in Las Vegas where he used jiu-jitsu to subdue a hammer-wielding attacker. Both his prison stories and the Hammer stories are wild and paint the picture of Gregoroff as a problematic narrator at best.
As of publication time, Toehold and Gregoroff have not publicly responded to Ryan‘s allegations. Ryan indicated in his post that he has “roughly 100 screenshots” of agreements made over the years that he is prepared to share if his claims are denied.
However they did post this:
Toehold even sponsored ADCC 2024.
Gordon’s full statement:
