Within the competitive grappling scene there’s an interesting conversation going on around the place of “trash talk” and “respect” within the sport. At the forefront of said conversation is the team known as the Danaher Death Squad, also known as the DDS. Whether you fall on the side agreeing with their practices or not, the point remains that they are some of the best grapplers in the sport today. Studio 540 is a major event scheduled for Saturday that features the DDS in some big matchups.
The main event features IBJJF, Abu Dhabi World Pro competitor and ADCC silver medalist, Felipe Pena, facing multiple-time EBI champion, Gordon Ryan, in an anticipated “grudge” match of sorts. This is a no-time limit, submission-only super fight between the accomplished competitors.
Ryan was known as a tough competitor before bursting onto the scene when he replaced Eddie Cummings in the EBI absolute tournament; winning his first EBI competition. Since then he’s campaigned to face off against some of the best athletes in the sport and Pena is an individual on said list. Ryan’s comments led to him getting blocked from further mentioning his opponent on Facebook.
“I think I’ve been less aggressive with my [expletive] talking for this match,” Ryan said as reported by Hywel Teague of FloGrappling.com. “Solely because the first time I said anything about Felipe he blocked me on Facebook immediately.”
What’s interesting is that heading into this fight, Ryan hasn’t engaged in as much trash talk and has clearly acknowledged his opponents skills.
“I was always looking to compete against good guys, and Felipe is definitely one of the top guys in the world today,” Ryan said. “He’s got a pretty aggressive guard passing style, and I think he’s going to be a problem if he gets to my back. He’s known for finishing people from the back. He’s known for having a tough X-guard. I think playing from top and passing him will be a challenge.”
Ryan isn’t the only member of this team competing. In fact, he isn’t the only member of his family as his younger brother, Nicky, is facing off against Kennedy Maciel, also known as “Cobrinha Jr.” Ryan has continued to develop into a dangerous grappler that consistently wins events against adults well older than he.
Fellow EBI champion, Garry Tonon is also competing against Kim Terra in yet another bout that has gone back and forth across social media. Tonon is coming off of his win at EBI 9 where he filled in for Ryan against a field of light heavyweights. Terra is the younger brother of champion competitor, Caio Terra, and has medaled in many events such as the Pan American Ji Jitsu Championship.
The Studio 540 super fights are scheduled for Saturday, December 17, starting at 4:00 p.m. EST and available for webcast on FloGrappling.com