Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu superstar Gordon Ryan has found himself in an unexpected position defending late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel, despite their vastly different political viewpoints. The ADCC champion took to social media to criticize what he sees as government overreach in the controversy surrounding Kimmel’s recent comments about conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Ryan, known for his conservative political stances and association with Joe Rogan‘s Austin-based circle, expressed outrage at the Federal Communications Commission’s involvement in the dispute.
“Also- who the f*ck is the FCC and why do they think they can go after Jimmy Kimmel for making jokes about ck? Kimmel is a r*tard and a dork, but the FCC (gov) has 0 authority to go after a private business like ABC and threaten them for what r*tard Kimmel said. Blatant government overreach.”
The situation escalated after Kimmel made comments during his Monday night monologue about Charlie Kirk. Kimmel criticized MAGA movement for trying to score political points off Kirk’s passing and mocked President Trump’s response to questions about mourning Kirk’s death.
Disney‘s ABC subsequently announced it would pull “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from its schedule indefinitely after major television station owners Nexstar Media and Sinclair Broadcasting said they would preempt the show in their markets. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr had threatened action against ABC prior to the network’s decision, later praising the move on social media.
Ryan’s defense of Kimmel has surprised many observers, given his typically conservative political positions. When one follower criticized his stance, writing
“Why are you being a d*uche bag this is a win for our team,”
Ryan doubled down on his principled position. He responded:
“government infringing on free speech by threatening a private business into firing a moron is a win for everyone but americans and 1a.”
It will be interesting to see if Ryan is alone in this take, or if Joe Rogan will use this opportunity to move one step closer to credibly claiming that he’s neither on the left nor the right politically.
The jiu-jitsu champion continued his criticism of the situation, stating that while he disagrees with Kimmel’s content, he believes the government has no business interfering.
“i agree.. but the FCC should not have threatened ABC over it.”
Ryan also directed criticism at Disney and ABC for their handling of the situation, writing
“And abc/Disney are soft as baby sh*t corps for not pushing back”
against what he characterized as improper government pressure.
Ryan’s unexpected defense of Kimmel demonstrates how concerns about government overreach can transcend partisan divides, particularly when it comes to First Amendment protections.
The decision to pull Kimmel’s show has significant financial implications for Disney and ABC. Without full national distribution through major affiliate groups like Nexstar and Sinclair, the show’s ratings and advertising revenue face substantial challenges. Industry analysts note that ABC generated approximately $76.6 million in advertising from “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in 2024.
Free speech advocates have joined Ryan in expressing concern about the precedent set by the network’s capitulation to government pressure. The ACLU‘s Christopher Anders called the situation “beyond McCarthyism,” criticizing both ABC and affiliate stations for “cowering to threats” from the FCC.
