Though Gordon Ryan retired from active competition back in February because of his recurring stomach issues, the grappling legend’s life is no less animated. Originally from New Jersey, Ryan, who is now a resident of Austin, Texas, recently found himself in what appeared to be a bizarre alleged attempted robbery.

Taking to social media, the decorated no-gi jiu-jitsu practitioner made everyone aware of a supposed “finger-gun” robbery attempt that seemingly took place at a gas station in Texas.

“I regret to inform you that I fell victim to a finger gun robbery last night after dinner,” Ryan wrote on Instagram. “Thankfully, because of APD quick response, no Gords were injured in the making of this video. 💙😭”

Well, Ryan’s post certainly eased some of the concern, as his description of the alleged incident as a “finger-gun robbery” suggests that nothing particularly serious took place. 

In the clip Ryan shared on Instagram and other social media platforms, a couple of people appeared to be arguing inside a gas station for reasons that remain unclear. At one point, a man dressed in a black T-shirt could be heard yelling “Cowboy, Cowboy” before making gun signs with his hands, while another person shouted “be right there” from a distance.

Moments later, members of the Austin Police Department arrived at the scene to assess the situation. Ryan witnessed the entire sequence unfold from the sidelines, and once the officers arrived, the camera followed him outside the store.

Despite the grappling maestro describing the situation, it remains unclear whether anyone was actually attempting a robbery or if the confrontation was something entirely different. Regardless, the fact is Ryan definitely found himself in the middle of an unusual situation once again after some thieves stole his Dodge Ram truck two years ago from his driveway.

However, the seven-time ADCC world champion is far from the only combat sports athlete to have crossed paths with alleged robbers.

Last year, following his loss to Deiveson Figueiredo, Marlon Vera reportedly confronted an alleged robber outside his California home. At the time, Vera chased away the knife-wielding thief with a shotgun he had kept in his car. However, many fans to this day question whether the incident was real.

Now, while details surrounding Gordon Ryan’s bizarre encounter remain limited, a female UFC fighter once dealt with a robber in a situation that turned out far worse—for the thief, of course.

UFC fighter Polyana Viana overpowers a robber in Brazil  

Back in 2019, UFC strawweight Polyana Viana found herself in a far more serious situation when she encountered an alleged robber in Brazil. According to the story she later shared with MMA Junkie, Viana was waiting for an Uber outside her apartment complex in Jacarepaguá when a man approached her. The stranger allegedly tried to deceive her by asking for the time before suddenly threatening her, claiming he was armed and demanding her cellphone.

However, Viana quickly realized the weapon the man was carrying was fake and appeared to be made out of cardboard. Once she figured that out, the UFC fighter took matters into her own hands, beating the alleged robber before holding him in a rear-naked choke until police arrived at the scene.

“When he saw I saw him, he sat next to me,” Viana said. “He asked me the time, I said it, and I saw he wasn’t going to leave. So I already moved to put my cell phone in my waist. And then he said, ‘Give me the phone. Don’t try to react, because I’m armed.’ Then he put his hand over (a gun), but I realized it was too soft.

“He was really close to me. So I thought, ‘If it’s a gun, he won’t have time to draw it.’ So I stood up. I threw two punches and a kick. He fell, then I caught him in a rear-naked choke. Then I sat him down in the same place we were before and said, ‘Now we’ll wait for the police.’”

With many such incidents, it shows that strange situations can happen at any time, even if you’re a UFC fighter or a grappling legend like Gordon Ryan.