Craig Jones officially announces $1 million grappling invitational set to take place on the same weekend as ADCC 2024
Craig Jones, known for his humor and light-hearted demeanor, recently announced that he had retired from competing in grappling professionally. He also stated that he would be entering the world of promotion, and announced his plan to stage a new, two-weight division, 16-man submission grappling tournament.
It was unclear whether he was serious, but after comments made by close friend and training partner, Nicky Ryan, and further announcements from Jones, it appears that he was genuine.
Last month, the Australian surprisingly confirmed that he would not be competing at the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) World Championship this year, slated for Aug. 17-18. Having won a silver medal in the 2019 and 2022 editions of ADCC, his lack of participation was a shock to the Brazilian jiu-jitsu community.
Jones cited his lack of financial motivation as the main reason for his decision not to compete. Instead, he has organized his own tournament, the Craig Jones Invitational (CGI), which will take place on Aug. 16-17 in Las Vegas.
The event's official Instagram page recently posted this:
The competition is set to have a -80 k.g. and a +80 k.g. division, with the winners of each category walking away with a staggering $1 million prize. According to Jones, the winner of the ADCC 2024 will receive $10,000.
As an apparent way to entice potential ADCC competitors to join the CGI instead, the Australian is offering a sum of $10,001 to compete at his event.
Craig Jones and ADCC head organizer trade words online
Craig Jones appears to have ruffled some feathers in the Brazilian jiu-jitsu world after announcing that he would be starting his own submission grappling tournament.
Jones has previously explained why he will not compete at ADCC 2024, pointing out that the prize money for winning a gold medal has been the same for over 10 years despite the sport's growing audience.
His recent criticism of the prestigious competition appears to have irked Mo Jassim, the head organizer of ADCC. The pair recently exchanged words online after Jones posted a picture of them together, with the caption quoting Kendrick Lamar from a song released during his recent beef with Drake.
"Don't tell no lies about me and I won't tell truths about you... Podcast invitation still open @mojassim80?"
See Craig Jones' post below:
