Gordon Ryan and Marcus Almeida "Buchecha" have met once on record, in the Final of the 2019 ADCC World Championship. Ryan took that match by penalty, which is the whole of the head to head at 1-0 in his favor. One meeting is a thin sample, so this reads less like a long rivalry and more like a single high-stakes crossing of two dominant grapplers at their peaks.

Their bodies of work point in different directions. Almeida built his reputation in IBJJF gi competition as a 13-time World Champion, and his recorded finishing tends to come from more classical positions, with the Armbar leading his submissions at 15 wins. Ryan made his name in no-gi and submission-only formats, and his finishing rate is higher, with 76% of his wins coming by submission against 50% for Almeida. His most frequent finish on record is the Rear Naked Choke with 12 wins.

The records are close on paper. Ryan sits at 97 wins and 5 losses across 105 recorded matches for a 92% win rate, while Almeida is 151-15 across 167 recorded matches for 90%. Their one shared result was decided not by a finish but by penalties, which is worth noting given how much of each man's larger record is built on submissions.