Gordon Ryan attacked by three men as chaos erupts after American’s victory at ADCC
Dorian Olivarez won his opening match, but a fight involving both teams ended his tournament and brought immediate suspensions
Gordon Ryan was attacked by several men during a massive brawl at the ADCC World Championship in Kraków, Poland. The retired American grappling star was attending the event as a coach when the violence erupted following Dorian Olivarez’s victory.
Olivarez submitted Kazakhstan’s Bekzat Kapashov after controlling their opening-round match in the 66-kilogram division . Moments later, members of Kapashov’s group confronted Olivarez and his corner, turning a tense exchange into a fight involving athletes, coaches and team members.
Gordon Ryan returns to coaching after the brawl
After the brawl, Ryan said he saw the confrontation coming and stepped in when members of his team appeared to be outnumbered . He claimed that five or six men tackled him and struck him in the head, including one who kicked him while he was down. Ryan still laughed off the incident, thanked the Kazakh group for the “fun scrap” and joked: “I’m fight of the night, every night.”
No serious injuries were immediately reported. Ryan described the incident as a “fun scrap” and quickly returned to his chair to continue coaching another teammate competing on a nearby mat.
ADCC disqualified Olivarez and Kapashov and suspended both competitors for one year because of their conduct on and off the mat. Olivarez’s father and coach, Mike, received a two-year suspension and was banned from attending or coaching at ADCC events during that period.
Owen Jones was selected to replace Olivarez in the tournament’s 66-kilogram bracket. Ryan, who retired from competition in February 2026 because of continuing health problems, remains at the event as a coach while ADCC 2026 continues in Poland.
