ONE Championship dream match: 5 reasons why Gordon Ryan vs. Andre Galvao should happen in MMA

ONE Championship may be on the verge of giving fans around the world the most high-profile grudge match in Brazilian jiu jitsu history. Many might not be familiar with them, but Gordon 'The King' Ryan and Andre Galvao are gods atop the Mount Olympus of grappling.

Both competitors are the recipients of countless Brazilian jiu jitsu titles and accolades. One would be hard pressed to name another grappler today who can match the achievements of the two.

The highly-decorated pair also happen to hate each other's guts. The history of Ryan and Galvao's beef is long and storied with the media covering every detail. From trash-talking on social media to an actual physical altercation backstage at a grappling event, there's no love lost between the two grappling phenoms.

Check out FloGrappling's YouTube video of the infamous slap heard across the grappling world:

While a possible ADCC superfight is on the horizon, nothing is set in stone yet. ONE Championship, however, struck while the iron was hot and signed both Ryan and Galvao to their roster this year. Just recently, the Singapore-based promotion dropped this post:

The copy poses a compelling question: should this grudge match happen in submission grappling or MMA? Today we cite five good reasons why this highly anticipated match should happen inside ONE Championship's MMA cage.

---

#5. This ONE Championship matchup can attract more fans outside the grappling community

Competitive jiu jitsu has skyrocketed in popularity in the past few years with prestigious competitions like ADCC, IBJJF Opens, EBI, WNO, and more. That being said, it still doesn't hold a candle to mixed martial arts. Boxing and MMA are clearly the leaders when it comes to generating attention and revenue in combat sports.

Galvao, who has an MMA record of 5 wins and 2 losses, got a lot of attention when he entered Strikeforce and Dream. Check out his MMA handywork here:

Pitting the two Brazilian jiu jitsu masters in an MMA fight would certainly attract a lot of attention to the event. Not only that, but having Ryan and Galvao fight in ONE Championship MMA will certainly bring more interest to the world of competitive grappling as well. It's a win-win for both MMA and grappling.

#4. ONE Championship can turn it into a special rules match

While special rules matches are highly unusual, ONE Championship is already making it happen with Demetrious 'Mighty Mouse' Johnson vs. Rodtang Jitmuangnon. The upcoming MMA vs. Muay Thai match certainly raised some eyebrows, considering the strange yet interesting nature of its rules.

That said, it's highly possible that ONE Championship decides to take a similar route for Ryan vs. Galvao. Imagine the intricacies and subtle nuances that can arise once the two shift from straight grappling to MMA between rounds. It will surely be a treat to watch.

---

#3. Both may be training in mixed martial arts already

Andre Galvao already has an MMA record on top of his multiple world grappling titles. Gordon Ryan, on the other hand, has already expressed an interest in competing in MMA. Having already conquered pretty much everyone in the world of grappling, 'The King' has his sights set on cage fighting in ONE Championship.

The grappling wizard recently spoke about his interest in competing in MMA on The Joe Rogan Experience. Catch the segment of the podcast below:

Ryan recently posted an image of himself alongside MMA legend Georges St. Pierre, hinting that he's most likely training in other martial arts as well.

As for Galvao, he recently posted a video of himself sparring and drilling MMA combinations with his teammates at ATOS Jiu Jitsu. Check out his training video here:

It looks like the ADCC Absolute champion is gearing up for a return to MMA. With a 7-fight stint in MMA already, Galvao will be coming in as the more experienced fighter. That said, we do not know how he'll fare against a fellow elite grappler.

Regardless, the table may have already been set for this grudge match to take place in a ONE Championship MMA fight.

#2. We'll get to see the two ONE Championship grapplers fight outside their element

If ONE Championship decides to make this fight in MMA, we'll see the two jiu jitsu wizards compete in ways we've never seen before. It has been observed in the past that when we have two elite grappling specialists fighting in MMA, the fight almost always stays on the feet.

A perfect example was a 3-round slugfest between two of the best grapplers in MMA in Ben Askren and Demain Maia. Check out this highlight video by MMAWeekly.com on the fight:

Whether or not Ryan and Galvao decide to keep the fight standing, the mere introduction of strikes to the equation would certainly make proceedings more interesting.

---

#1. The bad blood between the two is real

This reason alone should be enough to lock these two warriors in a cage and let them settle the score there. Genuine animosity has always been the fuel that makes rivalries so compelling to watch. The rivalry between Ryan and Galvao may be beyond titles, belts or achievements.

It might not be about proving who is the greatest grappler in the world anymore. The two might very well just want to hurt each other out of sheer disdain. Ryan has already taken another swipe at Galvao just recently after the latter joined ONE Championship.

Check out the pound-for-pound grappling king's Instagram post while taking a shot at his rival:

“Andres been declining matches with me since 2016 in all different organizations. He can now add @onechampionship to his list.”

With so much bad blood, why not let them settle it in a good ol' fashioned fist fight? It will be a treat for both MMA fans and grappling aficionados alike.

Ryan had already drawn first blood when he struck Galvao in their altercation back in March. With the two under contract with ONE Championship, it's only a matter of time until we see these two masters get a hold of each other.