Gordon Ryan Details Heel Hook Win Over Matheus Diniz

Current no-gi king Gordon Ryan has never been afraid to share the knowledge and techniques behind his success. In a recent interview with Flo Grappling, Ryan explained in detail how he submitted Matheus Diniz at their October 2020 Who’s Number One match.

The match-up between Ryan and Diniz was one of the most anticipated of 2020. Like Ryan, Diniz is a reigning ADCC champion. He came into the match riding an impressive win streak that included victories over Craig Jones, Josh Hinger, and Gabriel Arges.

Ryan came into the match riding an even more impressive win streak, and would continue that streak against Diniz. Ryan hasn’t lost in competition since a 2018 points loss to Vinny Magalhaes.

Watch the video below for Ryan’s complete breakdown of his set-up and submission of Diniz.

Ryan describes everything from his strategic approach going into the 30-minute submission-only match, to how he ultimately secured an inside heel hook. The video is an enlightening look into Ryan’s mindset: how he creates submission dilemmas for his opponent, his attitude when it comes to the mount position, and, of course, how he secured the match-winning heel hook.

Ben Coate

Ben has been involved with grappling, whether through wrestling or Brazilian jiu-jitsu, essentially his entire life. After wrestling throughout his childhood, Ben found Brazilian jiu-jitsu as a young adult and quickly fell in love. He has been training for over ten years and holds the rank of black belt, and remains involved in both the MMA and BJJ scene. Ben has been writing about combat sports since 2017. He has interviewed and profiled some of MMA's biggest stars, including multiple UFC champions.

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