Grappling superstar Gordon Ryan recently opened up about his ongoing health struggles and their impact on his training and competition. Speaking on Jake Shields’ podcast, Ryan revealed he has been battling serious stomach issues since 2018, stemming from repeated rounds of antibiotics for staph infections.
“I had a staph infection and took antibiotics. Then I got staph again and took more antibiotics. On the 10th day, I got super nauseous and I’ve been nauseous ever since,” Ryan explained. The repeated antibiotic use wiped out his stomach bacteria and suppressed his immune system, leading to a vicious cycle of infections and more antibiotics.
At its worst, Ryan’s stomach was so sensitive that simply stepping on the mats without immediately cleaning himself could trigger another staph infection. For much of 2018, he estimates he was on antibiotics for about 200 days out of the year.
The stomach issues have persisted for years, with Ryan seeing little progress from conventional doctors. He finally found some relief working with a holistic doctor in Los Angeles, but setbacks like a 45-day bout of antibiotic-resistant strep throat have caused his stomach to crash again.
Despite these health challenges, Ryan has continued to dominate competition at the highest levels. He revealed that for his 2024 ADCC camp, he was only able to complete about 18 quality training sessions in the final 10 days leading up to the event due to his stomach issues.
“This was definitely the hardest camp I’ve ever done,” Ryan said. He pushed through primarily to break records and compete for his coach John Danaher and ADCC organizer Mo Jassim.
Looking ahead, Ryan says his competitive future depends on getting his stomach health under control. “If my stomach just got better I would compete until I was like 40,” he stated. For now, he’s focused on healing and opening his new jiu-jitsu school in Austin, Texas in the coming months.
Despite the setbacks, Ryan remains optimistic about his future in the sport if he can overcome his health issues. His story highlights the immense physical toll high-level grappling takes on the body, as well as Ryan’s mental toughness in continuing to compete at an elite level while managing chronic health problems.
