Many people have been talking about the possibility of the two young phenoms competing against each other. If you follow sport BJJ, then you surely know I am talking about Gordon Ryan versus Keenan C.
People have already begun to debate the match and who has the real advantage. With so much talking, it is only a matter of time before a major promotion gets this match set up.
So, who truly has the advantage? I am going to attempt to be as unbiased as possible and look at the key factors that will play a role in this match.
What are the rules? This is probably the biggest issue, so I figured I would get it out of the way first.
Obviously in the gi and in points, Keenan has an advantage, but no-gi is not as clear.
Although Gordon Ryan did just win EBI, he has yet to compete in some of the other larger promotions or face as many tough opponents as Keenan.
One big thing people have pointed out is Gordon’s win over Yuri, who tied with Keenan at Metamoris.
But remember the Metamoris match was in the gi and it did not include the overtime rule like EBI did, so realistically you cannot compare them very well.
All things considered, I don’t think anyone has a decisive edge in the no-gi match up.
Another key factor is how their body sizes will match up, but realistically it all comes down to whether or not Gordon can deal with Keenan’s guard and leg game. I don’t believe Gordon has faced anyone quite as long or flexible as Keenan, so this is also an important factor.
One last thing people have talked about is how good Gordon’s leg lock game is. While his leg lock game is great, we have seen great leg lock defenses from Keenan in the past.
His match with Yuri is a good example. Yuri had him in what seemed to be a devastating knee bar, but Keenan seemed unfazed and continued to grapple fine afterwards.
So, as you can see, while Keenan may seem to have the advantage in gi and experience, their no-gi game is a toss-up. I feel like people underestimated Gordon at EBI, but he won’t get that same dark horse appearance in future fights.
It is truly hard to pick a winner in a no-gi match between the two young phenoms.
Who do you think has the edge should this match take place ??
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