Jon Jones is widely regarded as one of the best mixed martial artists to step foot into the Octagon, but how would he fare in a grappling match against BJJ expert Gordon Ryan? That’s the question Joe Rogan and his guests attempted to answer during a recent ‘Fight Companion’ episode of the JRE (Joe Rogan Experience) podcast. ‘Bones’ is currently sidelined from competition since tearing his pectoral tendon before UFC 295 in 2023 and had to withdraw from his bout against Stipe Miocic.

Recently, Jones made waves in the MMA sphere as he revealed that there is now a concrete timeline for his return to the cage. And so, let’s take a look at the intriguing hypothetical matchup of Jon Jones vs Gordon Ryan in a pure grappling match put forth by Rogan and his guests and what they believe could be a route to victory for ‘Bones’!

Rogan reveals Jon Jones’s only path to victory in a grappling match against ‘The King’

The conversation about Jon Jones’s chances in a grappling match against 5-time ADCC submission wrestling world champion, Gordon Ryan, began with JRE guest Brian Simpson mentioning a video of Jones rolling with Ryan. According to Simpson, it appeared that there wasn’t a huge disparity in the skill between the pair. However, former UFC fighter Brendan Schaub then chimed in by mentioning, “Oh, that’s Gordon being cool, Gordon would tie him in knots”, indicating that it wasn’t a serious exchange.

Joe Rogan, the podcast host, then provided insight into Gordon Ryan’s grappling style and training techniques as he revealed, ”When Gordon trains, Gordon rolls with you technically, like Gordon does not explode, there’s no explosion. Everything is like smooth movements, everything is just technique, smooth movements, scrambles. There’s no explosion, never over-extended, Gordon is just pure technique.”

This is where Schaub mentioned a hypothetical scenario as he stated, “Yeah, if there was money on the line saying, ‘Gordon, we’ll give you $100,000 if you can tap Jon out in 30 seconds…” and Rogan jumped in by adding, “Gordon would grab a hold of his leg, he would get his leg so quick.”

However, the UFC color commentator then pointed out that there is a way for Jones to avoid getting submitted by Ryan as he explained, “Unless Jon avoided him, unless Jon uses wrestling to avoid exchanges.”

The conversation highlighted the immense skill gap in pure grappling as Jones is a phenomenal mixed martial artist with an elite wrestling background however, Gordon Ryan’s expertise in BJJ makes him a dominant force on the mat even if he’s going up against ‘Bones’. Nevertheless, hypothetical matchups aside, Jon Jones has also recently come out to reveal that he is now ready to get back inside the Octagon!

‘Bones’ claims he is ready to resume his reign over UFC’s heavyweight division 

Jon Jones last stepped into the cage when he won the vacant UFC heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 in 2023. Now, in a recent social media update, ‘Bones’ has announced that the fans won’t have to wait much longer for his comeback!

Responding to a fan’s question about his next fight on social media, Jones stated, “November 9th Madison Square Garden, I know it seems like a dream but it’s really happening.” It’s interesting to note that his canceled bout at UFC 295 against Stipe Miocic was also planned to take place at the historic arena in New York City, and fans may finally get to see the two heavyweight titans clash at the iconic venue.

However, there haven’t been any official announcements from the promotion so far, but the update has definitely stoked the excitement in the MMA sphere. Do you think Jon Jones can survive or even win in a pure grappling match against Gordon Ryan? What are your thoughts on his claims about stepping into the Octagon on November 9th? Let us know in the comments below!