Nicky Rodriguez opens up on if ADCC were mad at him for choosing CJI: “What is actually the most valuable tournament?"
Nicky Rodriguez's decision to compete at the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI) instead of the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) World Championship paid off in full. The heavyweight grappler secured a whopping $1 million prize after winning the +80KG division at the CJI.
The CJI and ADCC 2024 took place on the same weekend, causing much controversy in the Brazilian jiu-jitsu world. The prestige of winning ADCC had long been the most prized possession in the sport, but the possibility of winning $1 million saw many ADCC competitors opt to join the CJI.
According to the CJI founder, Craig Jones, the prize money for winning ADCC had remained the same since his first appearance in 2017, at $10,000. The Australian decided to create his own tournament instead to improve athlete pay in BJJ.
Following his epic performance at the CJI, where he secured four finishes en route to first place, Rodriguez appeared on the Red Hawk Recap, a podcast hosted by Sean O'Malley's coach, Tim Welch.
He asked the submission grappler if there was any frustration from ADCC that he chose to compete at the CJI. He said this:
"[Mo Jassim] was totally fine, he completely understood. Obviously he wanted me to be in ADCC, and that was my goal since I started jiu-jitsu, my number one goal was to win ADCC, to be number one pound-for-pound. Then you have this million-dollar tournament and you have to re-evaluate what is the most valuable tournament in jiu-jitsu? $10,000 for ADCC versus $1 million. The money becomes the prize."
Catch Nicky Rodriguez's comments below (6:15):
Nicky Rodriguez calls out Gordon Ryan after winning the CJI
Both Nicky Rodriguez and Gordon Ryan had immensely successfully tournament-appearances, as they took part in the CJI and ADCC 2024, respectively.
Ryan partook in two Super Fights, one on Saturday and the other on Sunday, both of which he walked away victorious. 'The King' holds an unbeaten record that stretches back to 2018 and is widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound grappler in the world.
However, having narrowly defeated Rodriguez at UFC Fight Pass Invitational 3, it appears that 'Nicky Rod' wants another chance to dethrone the current king of the sport.
Following his win at the CJI, he said this:
"The only thing better than $1 million, is $2 million. So let's do this, I want a bet-match. Mr. Gordon Ryan, 'cause I know it in my bones that I'm the absolute grappler on the planet. So let's do this, my $1 million versus your $1 million, winner take all."
Watch Nicky Rodriguez's callout below (3:25:25):