Andre Galvao has confirmed he will be defending his superfight title at ADCC 2022, despite speculation that he would relinquish his title.
This means the matchup with the scheduled superfight contender, Gordon Ryan, should be going ahead.
However, Ryan has recently decided to step away from grappling for now, as he is suffering with an undiagnosed stomach issue.
This has led to rumors of Galvao only returning as Ryan has stepped away, but ADCC organizer Mo Jassim, has confirmed that the Brazilian agreed to fight on May 1st, before Ryan’s announcement.
“I am very excited to announce that six-time ADCC champion Andre Galvao will be doing the ADCC superfight in 2022.” Jassim said. “The truth is Galvao had accepted this match on May 1st, we just chose to not release it at that time.”
Both fighters have a history of going back and forth over social media, with much speculation of the match occurring, and this was amplified in an altercation that took place at a WNO card in February.
After the event, the two began with a war of words backstage that turned physical when Ryan slapped Galvao twice in the face.
This may be a motivating factor for Galvao to return to ADCC, as he has received backlash from the jiu-jitsu community for the way he backed down after been slapped.
Jassim feels that the fight will go ahead despite Ryan being out until further notice.
“With ADCC 2022 being more than a year away I am confident we will see Andre Galvao face Gordon Ryan at the biggest grappling event of all the time.”
Even if Ryan is unable to compete in 2022, an opponent will be found for Galvao’s record breaking 4th ADCC superfight title defence.