Felipe Pena and Gordon Ryan have met 4 times on record, and the series is split 2-2. It is one of the few genuinely even rivalries at the top of the sport, and it has stayed close across nearly a decade, from 2016 through 2024. All four matches were contested nogi.

The two decided matches were split by method as much as by result. Pena took the first meeting at Studio 540 Superfight in 2016 by Rear Naked Choke, then won the 2017 final at the 2017 ADCC World Championships on points. Ryan answered with a submission win at 2022 Tezos WNO: Gordon Ryan vs Felipe Pena and a points decision at the 2024 ADCC World Championships Presented. So each man has one submission and one points win in the series.

The broader records point to different profiles. Ryan sits at 92 wins and 4 losses on record with a 93% win rate, and 77% of his wins come by submission, favoring the Rear Naked Choke. Pena carries 146 wins and 27 losses with an 83% win rate, and 46% of his recorded wins are by submission, most often the Gi Choke From Back. Ryan finishes at a higher rate, but this rivalry has produced two points results out of four, so it has not been a clean finisher-versus-defender story.