UFC Fight Pass Invitational 3: Ryan vs. Magalhaes preview and absolute tournament line-up
View the full absolute tournament line-up for the UFC Fight Pass Invitational 3, headlined by a rematch between Gordon Ryan and Vinny Magalhaes.
UPDATE: As of December 14, Vinny Magalhaes is out of the main event and has been replaced by Nick Rodriguez. Ryan’s New Wave teammate, Luke Griffith, will take Rodriguez’s place in the absolute tournament.
On Thursday, December 15, Gordon Ryan will continue his quest to avenge each and every loss of his black belt career. In the main event of the UFC Fight Pass Invitational 3, he will square off with Vinny Magalhaes – the last man to defeat Ryan in competition.
The event will also hold a stacked eight-man absolute tournament featuring a number of recent ADCC veterans, including two-time ADCC silver medalist Nick Rodriguez.
And in other superfight action, 2017 ADCC champion Bia Mesquita takes on former UFC champion and longtime MMA veteran Miesha Tate, and “Big” Dan Manasoiu meets longtime black belt Ricardo Evangelista.
Gordon Ryan vs. Vinny Magalhaes 2
Widely considered the top pound-for-pound no-gi grappler in the world, Ryan is currently riding a nearly-five-year winning streak, capped by an incredible run through the 2022 ADCC World Championships that saw him winning gold in the heavyweight division (making him the first person to capture ADCC gold in three different weight classes), as well as defeating Andre Galvao to win the ADCC superfight title.
With his blend of complex leg locks, excellent wrestling, suffocating guard passing and top control, Ryan has looked well ahead of his competition over the past several years, racking up an impressively high submission rate.
Magalhaes, meanwhile, comes into this contest on a three-match losing skid that dates back to 2020, with the Brazilian focusing most of his efforts on his MMA career. A 2011 ADCC champion, Magalhaes competed at the 2022 ADCC World Championships, losing to John Hansen in the opening round. Before that, he dropped two straight in 2020 to Craig Jones and Mason Fowler, respectively.
Ryan and Magalhaes first met in 2018 at ACB JJ 13 in a points match scheduled for three five-minute rounds. In the opening round, Magalhaes scored a takedown and clean guard pass to score 5 points. That lead would carry him through the final two rounds, where he largely avoided Ryan’s trademark leg entanglements and butterfly sweeps.
Absolute Tournament Line-Up
UFC Fight Pass released the full tournament line-up via their official Instagram
The first round will see Patrick Gaudio – who nearly beat Ryan at the 2018 IBJJF No-Gi Worlds – square off with Haisam Rida. Tall and supremely athletic, Rida shocked fans with a lightning-fast armbar submission on Roberto “Cybrog” Abreu in the opening round of the 2022 ADCC World Championships, but comes into this match following a loss to Ryan’s New Wave teammate Luke Griffith.
Also, multiple-time ADCC veteran and longtime Submission Underground champion Mason Fowler will take on surging teenage prospect Pat Shahgholi, who burst onto the scene earlier this year with his brutal leg locks applied against older, more experienced competitors.
And on the other side of the bracket, The B-Team’s Nick Rodriguez, fresh off his second silver medal at the ADCC World Championships and a sensational performance at EBI 20, will take on 10th Planet black belt Andy Varela. The pair met in the first round of the absolute division at the ADCC World Championships, where Rodriguez dominated Varela on his way to a 17-0 points victory.
Finally, veteran 10th Planet competitor Richie “Boogeyman” Martinez battles multiple-time ADCC veteran and leg lock specialist Oliver Taza in what has the makings of a high-paced, submission-oriented match.
How to watch: The UFC Fight Pass Invitational 3 takes place on Thursday, December 15 and airs live on UFC Fight Pass (subscription required) at 9:00 PM ET.
