"Focus on being the best in the world" - Gordon Ryan on John Danaher's influential advice to him

Gordon Ryan was just an impressionable 17-year-old when he heard the words that changed his life forever.

The multi-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion said it was his coach John Danaher who instilled in him a mantra that he eventually carried as his life mission.

Sharing to Instagram, Gordon Ryan wrote:

“When I was 17, @danaherjohn was talking to us about brand building and the strongest athlete brands in history. In the conversation, he said one line that really made a big impact on me, ‘whatever direction you go, whatever you choose to do, just focus on being the best in the world. That will make everything you do much easier.’ I thought to myself ‘oh that's simple, I'll just do that.’ Luckily it worked out for me.”

Ryan, now 26, has won five BJJ world titles and is already in the conversation as one of the best to ever do it.

He’s also created an impact outside of the mats. Ryan joined the world of cryptocurrency and launched his own NFT project together with BJJ Fanatics.

“Often time there is a single phrase or sentence that rings a bell, that sticks with you, and that changes the way you think about something. There are many young people and specifically young athletes who are trying to find themselves and trying to figure out where their lives will lead and which direction they will take their brand.”

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Gordon Ryan: being the best is always the goal

Ryan believes that earning as much as possible is always a respectable goal for anyone, be it in fighting or any other field. What he’s focused on the most, though, is to be remembered.

The grappling savant said that demanding hefty payments for one’s craft is no big deal, but being the best to ever do it will always be the way to be remembered in history.

His motivational caption continued:

“Today I see so many people out there who haven't won anything demanding tons of money to compete, running their mouth, doing stuff just for likes on IG, that's cool and all. But if you want to be remembered, do the hard work, focus on being the best in the world, the rest is just extra fun.”

We'll see if Ryan can add to his legacy when he returns to action.