The five-time ADCC champion Gordon Ryan has been suffering from severe stomach issues for the past few years. While Ryan has been out of the headlines for quite some time now, he has been in the discussions frequently in recent times. Ryan recently posted a picture of himself where his physique shocked everyone.
Ryan has been suffering from some stomach ulcers, which were diagnosed as gastroparesis in 2021. The diagnosis was then discovered to be incorrect. Later it was discovered that the BJJ champion actually suffered from a fungal growth in his small intestine and bacterial imbalances. He even talked about his condition on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast in 2022.
Due to the condition, he had to pull out and be substituted by Nick Rodriguez just two days before facing his long-awaited rival, Felipe Pena in February 2023. Earlier on May 22, Ryan revealed that he was having severe strep throat.
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“When I got back from my Abu Dhabi trip, I came down with a severe case of strep throat which ended with me in the hospital because my throat swelled shut, Doctors also couldn’t figure out how to cure it since no one ever fails penicillin for a strep infection.”
Ryan, through his Instagram, said his body was not accepting any antibodies he consumed. Hence, he was on antibodies for over 40 days, with a shot of penicillin.
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After a week, Ryan again updated his fans about his training schedules. “This will make three months of zero activity and five months of no training. That, coupled with the fact that over 40 days of antibiotics wasn’t great for my stomach, it’s safe to say I have a long road back to competition.”
Gordon Ryan is accused of being on steroids
Following the drastic changes that Ryan’s physique went through after his battles with the illness, the two-time IBJJF No-Gi World champion is being accused of using steroids, as he lost a significant amount of muscle during his short span of being hospitalized. And this is not the only time ‘The King’ was accused of doing so.
Ryan was accused by his former teammate Matthew Kaplan of being on steroids in 2018. It is said that the fighter gained 50 pounds in three months but had to be hospitalized immediately afterward. While this does make the accusations sound true, there has been no formal evidence for the same.
The USADA has tested Gordon Ryan in the past and the results came out negative. However, one of Ryan’s rivals, Nick Rodriguez has also accused Gordon Ryan of using PEDs.