Gordon Ryan and John Danaher have officially cut ties with Izaak Michell earlier last week, removing him from Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu amid serious allegations that appear to involve an active investigation.
Ryan’s statement emphasized that Michell is no longer affiliated with the gym and asked that no further details be made public, while Craig Jones added context by directing followers to support resources for individuals affected by unwanted intimate encounters and warning against Michell’s proximity to women.
Despite that, there’s been no official confirmation as to the exact reason Michell was kicker out of Kingsway.
Michell, an Australian who recently won the ADCC Asia trials in the 77kg division, has faced previous professional setbacks, including being removed from B Team and barred from competing at Craig Jones Invitational 2 due to contractual disputes.
Now Simple man podcast has provided more insight. The Simple Man podcast, hosted by Nicky Ryan, Nicky Rod, Damian Anderson, and Ethan Crelinsten, addressed the controversy surrounding Australian grappler Izaak Michell in a recent episode. The discussion followed Michell’s expulsion from Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu and reports that he had fled to Thailand.
“Let’s address the elephant in the room.”
One host began, before confirming:
“Izaak Michell got kicked. He did a little something apparently.”
According to the podcast, Michell was removed from Kingsway after multiple women reported to police that he had assaulted them.
“Pretty much just ’cause I believe like multiple different women went to the police uh you know claiming that he s**ually assaulted them”
Nicky Ryan explained. Following these allegations, Michell reportedly traveled to Thailand, where ADCC trials were taking place.
The hosts discussed Michell’s possible reasons for staying overseas.
“It seems like he might be trying to hide out there, but I don’t know”
one said, while another added:
“I think it’s a visitors thing for like you could probably only stay there for like a month or something”
Michell’s US visa was rumored to have been sponsored by Gordon Ryan. With his departure from Kingsway, it’s assumed that sponsorship ended. He was previously sponsored by Craig Jones before the two parted ways.
The conversation also touched on Michell’s past behavior and lifestyle. Damian Anderson recalled that Michell “lived on our couch for 6 months,” while another host remarked:
“He’s always been kind of a a a dog or a ladies man, whatever”
They speculated whether performance-enhancing supplements could have influenced his behavior:
“I wonder if the supplements he was on like changed his mind a little bit. He got he got pretty sauced up”
The hosts expressed surprise at the allegations, with Damian Anderson stating:
“I am such a bad judge of character now. I would not have known”
