Nicky Ryan is a jiu-jitsu black belt under John Danaher who was once regarded as one of the main representatives of the Renzo Gracie Academy - New York, workgroup also known as the Danaher Death Squad (DDS). Ryan first made waves in the sport when competing as a 13-year-old, a time when he was already winning adult tournaments. His precociousness continued to develop in the professional circuit where Ryan became the youngest athlete (16) to ever compete at the ADCC World Championships at the time (2017). Nicky would leave the DDS team in 2021 allegedly due to a family dispute with his brother, Gordon Ryan. Ryan would go on to form a squad with other training partners who also broke from Danaher that year and formed the B-Team.