In a move that may surprise jiu-jitsu fans, Gordon Ryan’s new opponent at the 3rd Coast Grappling III main event won’t be a sub-only star or famous black belt, but instead a highly accomplished wrestler.

3CG promotor Ryan McGuire has announced that 3x NCAA champion Bo Nickal will be the athlete to replace Erberth Santos in the December event. Santos was pulled from the event yesterday after making additional demands of the promotion, drawing mockery from his would-be opponent.

The matchup is an unconventional one, especially given that Ryan was previously matched up against Rodolfo Vieira prior to Santos. But for McGuire, it still makes sense for bringing high entertainment value to the event. “After the Erberth situation, we tossed around tons of options,” he told the Jiu-Jitsu Times. “I’ve always liked the wrestling vs. BJJ throwdowns. It’s fun and gets people talking. Earlier this year we nearly had Yuri Simoes vs. a very, very high-level wrestling guy, but it fell through. This gives us a fun, compelling match between two of the best in their respective sports. It also gives BJJ a chance to crossover more to the wrestling crowd and vice versa. It’s a win-win and a bigger match than even I think Rodolfo was. It’s crazy.”

The match will have modified 3rd Coast Grappling rules, which means the match will be fifteen minutes long. There will be no leg locks, no guard pulling, and no tech fall at 11 points. The competitor who submits their opponent or has more points at the end of the time limit will win.

Make sure you’re watching when Ryan vs. Nickal, plus many other exciting matches stream live from Texas on December 7 only on FloGrappling!