Gordon Ryan's no time limit, submission only match ended with a decisive finish. I was matside doing commentary for the broadcast with my FloGrappling compadre Chase Smith. Here's what I learned from watching the match live and in person. 

Watch the match here

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Sign Up

Already a subscriber? Log In

1. Gordon asked for no time limit, but he wasn't wasting time

I was genuinely concerned we were going to be there all night. We had never had a no time limit match on FloGrappling before, so we were entering uncharted waters. Would it go a minute, half an hour, an hour, or more? Gordon's last match with no time limit, versus Keenan Cornelius way back in August of 2016, went around 90 mins. Personally, I wasn't hoping for a repeat. 

The worries were unfounded. Gordon wasn't interested in letting the match go that long. He told us that he wanted to finish it inside 10 mins, maybe because he was concerned Boehm might try to claim a moral victory by lasting with him. Gordon needed a little over 12 minutes to seal the deal with a triangle armbar, leaving no argument as to who the better man was. 

2. Boehm may or may not have been doping... literally

A clip posted to Boehm's Instagram story shortly before his match showed him in the men's bathroom consuming what was allegedly a psychedelic mushroom. In the clip, Boehm held what appeared to be the mushroom in the palm of his hand and placed it in his mouth, appearing to eat it. He then walked out into the arena while undercard matches took place. The clip appeared on his Instagram approximately two hours or so before his match with Gordon. 

The exact nature of what Boehm may have consumed is unclear, and there is nothing to confirm that it was indeed a mind-altering substance. But if it was, it would take the term "doping" to a whole new level and raises questions about how it could have impacted his performance, for better or worse. 

3. When faced with an athletic opponent, Gordon's technique reigns supreme

Physically Boehm was nearly identical to Gordon. Same height, only a 2lb weight difference, same lanky frames. Garry Tonon has openly said he doesn't believe Gordon is naturally athletic, while Boehm was previously involved in rock climbing (specifically bouldering), rugby and MMA. A multi-sport athlete who got his black belt in a relatively short time, Boehm tried to use his explosiveness from bottom to escape but it was futile. 

Gordon's ability to keep the pressure while passing guard nullified any chance Boehm had of getting back to his feet. It was a classic case of technique versus athleticism and the result speaks for itself. 

4. Boehm's arm popped, bad

The triangle-armbar that Gordon locked on caused a great deal of lateral pressure on the elbow joint, and Gordon claims the arm "broke in half". We'll try to find out from Boehm exactly how bad the injury was. 

5. Gordon is running out of challengers, and almost nobody wants to face him

Days out from the event Ryan claimed that ADCC champions and World No-Gi champions have declined to face him. One grappler that expressed interest in going against Gordon was Patrick Gaudio, who narrowly lost to Ryan at the 2018 IBJJF World No-Gi Championships. It might be a while before we see that match though, as Gaudio is in Brazil and President Trump recently announced a travel ban with the South American nation due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.