Craig Jones has offered what he claims is the real reason Gordon Ryan never crossed over to MMA: a severe gag reflex that makes wearing a mouthguard impossible.
The revelation came during Jones’ appearance on the Ariel Helwani Show, where the two were discussing a potential matchup between Ryan and Kron Gracie. Jones floated the idea of the two meeting in a street brawl before dropping what he described as an insider detail about Ryan’s combat sports limitations.
“Interesting fact about Gordon Ryan,” Jones told Helwani. “The true reason he never did MMA is because he can’t wear a mouth guard. He has a very strong gag reflex.”
When Helwani questioned whether the claim was accurate, Jones doubled down without hesitation.
“That’s 100% true,” he said.
The topic naturally moved to the observation that submission grappling competitors do not wear mouthguards, a setup that works in Ryan’s favor. Jones confirmed the world’s top-ranked no-gi grappler avoids the protective gear entirely.
“He does not wear a mouth guard,” Jones said.
Jones, who said he personally wears one to protect his teeth, suggested the gag issue would create a real problem if Ryan were to compete in a format that requires one.
“You take some teeth with your crown. You might get submitted, but you’ll take some teeth,” Jones said.
The mouthguard revelation came during a conversation that also touched on an Instagram story Ryan had directed at Jones. In the post, Ryan accused Jones of “becoming a mediocre merchandise salesman while he tricks some guy into building him another gym that he yet again won’t be at.”
Jones responded to the dig by saying he had recently hidden Ryan’s profile on social media in an effort to move on from the ongoing rivalry.
“I feel like anything he posts is just, it’s so bad. I can’t help myself. I respond,” Jones said.
Additionally, the feud from the two has been going on for some time. Kron Gracie posted on Instagram telling Ryan: “Don’t be a big old pu**y. Do a match.”
Jones said the potential matchup had him intrigued and that it would have made for a strong CGI 3 booking, though he acknowledged Ryan would be unlikely to ever sign on to compete at his promotion given their history.
