BJJ star Gordon Ryan has never denied using steroids, and his body reflects that. But his recent comments about allowing streoids in MMA has gotten some MMA fighters upset.
“If the UFC ‘regresses’ back to the old days, this is amazing news,” Ryan wrote on social media after news of the USADA-UFC split. “The reason people watch professional sports is almost exclusively for entertainment value. Few people who watch pro sports have any real desire to excel at those same sports, so really, they are just watching for the most entertainment.
Johnny Eblen, the Bellator middleweight champion and highly regarded as one of the best middleweights in the world, took to Twitter to fire back at Ryan.
Johnny Eblen roasts Gordon Ryan 'How can you be considered the goat if in order to train you had to be on steroids?'
Not that I’m trying to stir up any unwarranted drama, but gordan ryan just stated that MMA should allow athletes to be on steroids because it would supposedly make it more entertaining.
— Johnny Eblen (@JohnnyEblen) October 17, 2023
Hey bro, there’s a reason your health sucks and it has a lot to do with you wanting to be an… pic.twitter.com/6QAj5DiQJ0
"Hey bro, there’s a reason your health sucks and it has a lot to do with you wanting to be an 'entertainer'," he tweeted. "Athletes are humans too and there’s a life after fighting. Steroids and other performance enhancers destroy the possibility of a good functioning life as you age. You took that shit, and now you’re stuck, and you want to bring the rest of us down with you. I really hope MMA organizations can see an obvious set of liabilities that come from more brain damage and body damage when athletes retire."
Ryan has suffered from Gastroparesis, a condition that means that the stomach does not empty fully after eating and leaves food behind. He's even taken extended time off due to the illness.
"One thing is taking steroids when you grapple, and another is when you’re getting punched, kneed, elbowed and kicked in the face. It’s convenient you say this shit about steroids while you’re grappling but not fighting," Eblen said. "How can you be considered the goat if in order to train you had to be on steroids? You’re telling me the guy on the right really would know what he knows about grappling had he not been on the sauce? Don’t get me wrong, dudes amazing at what he does, but literally can’t do anything without steroids."
At press time, Ryan had not responded to Eblen's comments.
Eblen recently defended his Bellator title.