Gordon Ryan and Erberth Santos have been feuding online since 2018, when Gordon first called for gi and no-gi matches with the native Brazilian. What started as a legitimate attempt to book a high profile match eventually turned to significant criticism, with Gordon calling out Erberth’s jiu-jitsu and his behaviors during matches. One such incident occurred during a BJJ Stars event in 2019, where Erberth was involved in a brawl with spectators at the event. Recently, however, the attacks have become much more personal.
In December 2020, Erberth commented on a picture of Gordon’s late father saying “Soon your son will visit you,” in addition to various other threats.