Ryan Hall
Ryan Hall is an American Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and mixed martial artist nicknamed “The Wizard” who won bronze in the under-66kg division of the 2009 ADCC World Championship, won season 22 of The Ultimate Fighter in 2015 and submitted B.J. PennUniversity of PennsylvaniaThe University of Pennsylvania, commonly called Penn, is a private research university and Ivy League member in Philadelphia. It traces its origins to a 1740 charity-school project; Benjamin Franklin proposed his academy in 1749, classes began in 1751, and a 1791 merger established the institution under its present name. Penn has 12 schools, with undergraduate education concentrated in arts and sciences, engineering, nursing and Wharton. Enrollment totaled 29,384 in fall 2025, and the fiscal 2025 endowment was $24.81 billion. As of October 2026, J. Larry Jameson was president, with his term scheduled to end on June 30, 2027.Open the full entry with a heel hook in the UFCUFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship)UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) is a mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion based in Las Vegas, United States. It began in 1993 as a no-holds-barred fighting tournament and gradually entered the mainstream after the Fertitta brothers’ Zuffa bought it for $2 million in 2001; it was sold for about $4 billion in 2016 to a consortium led by WME-IMG, and in 2023 it merged with WWE to form the publicly traded TKO Group Holdings, where as of 2026 it is one of the largest businesses by revenue.Open the full entry; in 2008 he founded the Fifty/50 academy in Falls Church, Virginia.
Contents21 sections
Key facts
Before 2007Starts Jiu-Jitsu While at College in New York
Hall was born in Arlington, United States, and studied electrical engineering at Manhattan College in the Bronx, New York; he began training Brazilian jiu-jitsu while at college in New York and soon left school to pursue martial arts full-time.[1]
2006Loses His MMA Debut
He lost his first professional MMA fight in April 2006.[2]
2007Faces Nate Diaz in a US Open Final
In 2007 he faced future UFC fighter Nate Diaz in the purple belt gi final of US Open XII; for about five years after that he concentrated on jiu-jitsu rather than MMA.[3]
His website biography describes him as a black belt under two-time world champion Felipe Costa and says that as a purple belt he won the IBJJF World, No-Gi World and European championships and medaled at the CBJJ Brazilian National Championship.[4]
2008Founds the Fifty/50 Academy
In 2008 he founded the Fifty/50 martial arts academy in Falls Church, Virginia, which teaches Brazilian jiu-jitsu, judo, wrestling and kickboxing.[5]
September 2009Bronze at the ADCC World Championship
He won the 2009 ADCC North American Trials, qualifying for the world championship.[3]
At the 2009 ADCC World Championship in Barcelona, in the under-66kg division, he was submitted by Leo Vieira with a guillotine after a hard-fought match.[6]
He then beat Jeff Glover 3–2 on points in the third-place match to finish third in the division.[7]
2011ADCC Quarterfinal and Self-Defense Incident
In 2011 he returned to the ADCC World Championship and lost in the quarterfinals to Robson Moura; he then did not compete in a grappling match for about a decade.[8]
In December 2011, after asking a nearby table for a lighter, he was threatened and attacked by a drunk man, whom he took down with a single-leg, controlled from mount and finally choked to end the confrontation; video of the incident went viral.[9]
2015Wins The Ultimate Fighter Season 22
On season 22 of The Ultimate Fighter, which began airing in September 2015, he represented Team USA from Falls Church and submitted Johnny Nunez with a heel hook in his first elimination bout.[10]
He won again by heel hook but lost a majority decision to Saul Rogers in the quarterfinals; when visa issues kept Rogers from traveling to Las Vegas, he was brought back for the final and in December 2015 beat Team McGregor’s Artem Lobov to win the season.[11]
December 3, 2016Beats Gray Maynard
On December 3, 2016, he beat UFC veteran Gray Maynard by unanimous decision at the TUF 24 Finale.[11]
December 29, 2018Heel-Hooks B.J. Penn at UFC 232
On December 29, 2018, at UFC 232, he drew B.J. Penn into range before rolling into a heel hook, forcing a tap at 2:46 of the first round and earning a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.[12]
MMA Fighting named the win its 2018 Submission of the Year; it was the first submission loss of Penn’s career.[13]
July 13, 2019Beats Darren Elkins
On July 13, 2019, he beat Darren Elkins by three-round unanimous decision at a UFC Fight Night event.[1]
2020Struggles to Find Opponents
In January 2020, on an eight-fight winning streak and unbeaten in four UFC fights, he said he was open to fighting almost anyone but insisted on proper preparation, adding that he had been asking the UFC for a fight since beating Elkins.[14]
September 20, 2020First Appearance on the Lex Fridman Podcast
On September 20, 2020, he appeared on episode #125 of the Lex FridmanLex FridmanLex Fridman is a Soviet-born, US-raised computer scientist and podcast host who works as an MIT research scientist on human-AI interaction and autonomous driving. His Lex Fridman Podcast is known for hours-long conversations with guests including heads of state and technology leaders.Open the full entry Podcast, which described him as a jiu-jitsu black belt, UFC fighter and philosopher of the martial arts; topics included Genghis Khan, the essence of jiu-jitsu, how to get started, the value of a good coach, fighting B.J. Penn and the fear of death.[15]
2021Withdraws from the Dan Ige Fight
In January 2021 he was booked to face Dan Ige on March 13, which would have been his first fight since 2019.[16]
In February he withdrew from the fight with an injury.[17]
March 20, 2021Second Appearance on the Lex Fridman Podcast
On March 20, 2021, he made his second appearance on the podcast (episode #169), which described him as an MMA fighter undefeated in the UFC; topics included approaching martial arts from first principles, game theory, waiting for a fight, free will, how to get good at jiu-jitsu, artificial intelligence and hardship.[18]
July 10, 2021Knocked Out by Ilia Topuria at UFC 264
On July 10, 2021, at UFC 264, he was knocked out in the first round by undefeated Georgian fighter Ilia Topuria, his first loss in the UFC.[19]
December 11, 2021Beats Darrick Minner at UFC 269
On December 11, 2021, he beat Darrick Minner by decision at UFC 269, the first time since his TUF run that he had fought twice in a calendar year.[20]
2022ADCC Invitation and Injury Withdrawal
In March 2022, ADCC announced his invitation to the 66kg division of that year’s world championship, which would have been his third appearance at the event.[21]
As the event approached, he withdrew injured and was replaced in the bracket.[22]
2023Polaris 24 Main Event Called Off
In March 2023, Polaris announced that he would challenge triple champion Ashley Williams for the lightweight title at Polaris 24 on June 3.[22]
In May both men withdrew and the main event was postponed.[23]
November 2024Says He Hopes to Return to the Octagon
In November 2024, not having fought since beating Minner in December 2021, he said he still intended to return to the UFC Octagon.[24]
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
Personal website: Public link: https://ryanhallonline.com/ (opens in a new window)[18]
X: Public account: https://x.com/ryanhall5050 (opens in a new window)[18]
Fifty/50 Martial Arts Academy: Official website: https://www.5050bjj.com/ (opens in a new window)[18]
Sources
- Ryan Hall | UFC (opens in a new window)
- Ryan Hall vs. Ricardo Lamas rebooked for UFC event on Aug. 29 (opens in a new window)
- Throwback: Watch Nate Diaz v Ryan Hall In The Gi (opens in a new window)
- Learn Jiu Jitsu With The Wizard! | Ryan Hall Online (opens in a new window)
- Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Wrestling, & Kickboxing for all ages in Falls Church, Va. (opens in a new window)
- Day One Divisionals at ADCC 2009 (opens in a new window)
- Barcelona, Spain: ADCC Final Results – BJJ Legends Magazine (opens in a new window)
- Ryan Hall Might Be Returning To ADCC In 2022 (opens in a new window)
- Throwback: Ryan Hall Controls Drunk Guy With Absolute Ease (opens in a new window)
- TUF 22: ‘McGregor vs Faber’ results, recap for episode 1 on FOX Sports 1 (opens in a new window)
- Gray Maynard vs. Ryan Hall slated for TUF 24 Finale (opens in a new window)
- UFC 232 Bonuses: Nunes, Volkanovski, Mendes, Hall Capture $50K Awards (opens in a new window)
- MMA Fighting’s 2018 Submission of the Year: Ryan Hall’s historic hook (opens in a new window)
- UFC: Ryan Hall frustrated with lack of opponents - Yahoo Sports (opens in a new window)
- #125 - Ryan Hall: Martial Arts and the Philosophy of Violence, Power, and Grace | Lex Fridman Podcast (opens in a new window)
- Ryan Hall Returns to Face Dan Ige at March 13 UFC Card (opens in a new window)
- Ryan Hall details the injury that forced him out of Dan Ige fight, wants Jeremy Stephens in April (opens in a new window)
- #169 - Ryan Hall: Solving Martial Arts from First Principles | Lex Fridman Podcast (opens in a new window)
- UFC 264 Results: Ilia Topuria Overcomes Awkward Attacks, Finishes Ryan Hall Early (opens in a new window)
- UFC 269: Ryan Hall Can't Secure Submission, Takes Decision Against Darrick Minner (opens in a new window)
- Ryan Hall Announced For ADCC 2022 66kg Division (opens in a new window)
- Ryan Hall To Face Ashley Williams At Polaris 24 (opens in a new window)
- Replacement Main Event Booked For Polaris 24 (opens in a new window)
- Ryan Hall details plethora of injuries and surgeries that has led to layoff (opens in a new window)