Jigoro Kano-Mitsuyo Maeda-Carlos Gracie-Carlson Gracie-Mario Sperry-Rafael Haubert-Ryan Bow

I competed professionally in MMA, Muay Thai, and submission grappling from 1999 to 2009, during a pivotal era when the sport was still gaining legitimacy in the United States while thriving in Japan. At 17, I moved alone to Tokyo, where I earned my Judo black belt from the Kodokan Judo Institute and began competing in amateur MMA with Shooto, a promotion heavily influenced by catch wrestling. I later returned to the U.S. to train under 5-time UFC champion Frank Shamrock at the American Kickboxing Academy, making my professional debut in 1999. Over the course of my career, I competed in more than 30 fights, sharing cards with athletes such as Anderson Silva. After a decade of competition, I retired in 2009 and transitioned fully into coaching, later serving as Head MMA Coach at Team Nogueira Dubai. A lifelong student of combat sports, I continue to train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and was awarded my black belt in 2016 by Rafael Haubert and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. I am currently based in Tokyo, where I serve as the Head of Combat Sports at UFC Gym Japan, teaching my integrated system, Ryan Bow Mixed Martial Arts: A Systematic Approach to Mixed Martial Arts Mastery.