Craig Jones Invitational: A New Era of Submission Grappling
The Craig Jones Invitational (CJI) is poised to disrupt the submission grappling and BJJ landscape with its unprecedented $1 million prize pool, attracting the sport's most elite competitors and challenging the status quo.
Timed to coincide with ADCC 2024 in Las Vegas, CJI’s overlapping schedule has stirred controversy, all but forcing athletes and fans to choose between the two premier events.
This move, seen as a direct challenge to ADCC’s dominance, underscores the growing demand for better athlete compensation. While ADCC has kept its prize structure unchanged for two decades, offering $10,000 to winners, CJI guarantees $10,001 just for showing up, highlighting the disparity and pushing for a new standard in athlete compensation, in recognition of the high level of skill and dedication required to compete at the top levels of the sport.
Charities
CJI, hosted by the Fair Fight Foundation, is not just about high-stakes competition with a grand prize; it's also emphasizing on giving back.
A portion of the proceeds from the event and some of the athletes' purses will be donated to several charities of the athlete's choice. Such as:
- Akademi Kristus - Improving the underprivileged youth of Bali through Jiu Jitsu and education.
- Criança Mais Feliz RS - Supporting those affected by the flood-devastated Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.
- Kodl Boyarka - Kyiv's regional children's hospital.
- MAP - Medical aid for Palestine.
- Tap Cancer Out - Raising funds and awareness for cancer research.
By aligning with these causes, the CJI is aiming to make a positive impact beyond the mats and athlete pay by supporting meaningful initiatives.
MMA Style Scoring
CJI will incorporate an MMA-inspired 10-Point Must System for scoring.
The idea behind this is to make the event interesting and understandable for both MMA fans and people who wouldn't normally watch competitive grappling.
In this system, each round is scored individually, with the round winner receiving 10 points and the loser getting 9 or fewer based on the dominance of performance. The criteria focus on initiating action (such as takedowns and submission attempts), effective grappling, close submissions with dynamic action, and positional control.
This system encourages a more dynamic and aggressive style of competition, rewarding athletes who push the pace and seek submissions, while also ensuring that matches are judged fairly on a round-by-round basis.
Unlike MMA, competitors will know the how the judges scored have each round as soon as it concludes.
Pit arena
CJI will feature a "pit" arena, designed to enhance the intensity and pace of the matches.
This rectangular pit has raised edges that prevent athletes from escaping or disengaging, ensuring that the action remains continuous and contained within the fighting area.
The concept of the "pit" arena at the Craig Jones Invitational is inspired by Karate Combat, helps towards the need to create a more dynamic, and continuous grappling environment for competitive grappling.
The pit features raised edges to prevent athletes from rolling outside the area, encouraging constant engagement and minimizing stalling.
This design adds an element of pressure, as competitors are confined within a smaller, more intense space, which is a departure from traditional flat mats. The pit's unique structure is intended to enhance the spectator experience and ensure that the action remains fast-paced and aggressive.
Athletes
CJI has attracted a stellar line-up of competitors, divided into distinct brackets that showcase the top talent in the world of submission grappling.
The event features two main divisions: the -80 kg and +80 kg brackets, alongside special super fights, including a highly anticipated mix gender match between Craig himself and Gabi Garcia.
Each bracket is filled with world-class athletes, ranging from ADCC champions to seasoned IBJJF competitors, making the CJI one of the most competitive and star-studded events in grappling to date. Below is a breakdown of the athletes competing in each category.
-80 kg Division:
- Andrew Tackett – 2024 ADCC West Coast Trials winner.
- Andy Varela – PGF Champion.
- Eoghan O’Flanagan – ADCC European Trials winner.
- Jason Nolf – Three-time NCAA Wrestling Champion.
- Jozef Chen – 2023 ADCC European Trials Winner.
- Kade Ruotolo – 2022 ADCC Winner.
- Levi Jones-Leary – IBJJF World Champion (Brown Belt).
- Lucas ‘Hulk’ Barbosa – 3x INJJF No-Gi Champion.
- Matheus Diniz – ADCC Champion.
- Nicky Ryan – 2023 ADCC Trials winner
- Renato Canuto – IBJJF No-Gi Champion.
- Roberto Jimenez – IBJJF Absolute No-Gi Champion.
- Tommy Langaker – Multiple-time IBJJFNo-Gi Champion.
- Tye Ruotolo –One Championship Champion.
- Magid Hage – ADD Trials Runner Up
- Kenta Iwamoto – 3x ADCC Trials winner.
+80 kg Division:
- Adam Bradley – ADCC Trials winner.
- Daniel Greg Kerkvliet – NCAA Champion.
- Fellipe Andrew – IBJJF Champion.
- Inacio Santos – ADCC Trials Winner.
- Joao Gabriel Rocha – IBJJF Pans Champion.
- Kyle Boehm –KOTM Grand Prix Champion.
- Luke Rockhold – Former UFC Middleweight Champion.
- Lucas Kanard – ADCC Trails Winner
- Max Gimenis – IBJJF Pans Champion.
- Mahamed Aly – IBJJF World Champion.
- Nick Rodriguez – 2x ADCC Silver Medalist.
- Owen Livesey – Catch Wrestling Champion.
- Pat Downey – National Wrestling Champion.
- Pedro Alex – IBJJF No-Gi S.American Champion
- Victor Hugo – 5x IBJJF Champion.
- William Tackett – ADCC Trials Winner.
Women’s Super Fight
Ffion Davies vs. Mackenzie Dern
Ffion is the reigning ADCC Champion, and Mackenzie is a former No-Gi World Champion and UFC fighter.
Main Event
Craig Jones vs. Gabi Garcia
Craig is the second best grappler on the planet, while Gabi is a 6-0 MMA fighter, a multiple-time ADCC and also an IBJJF World Champion.
When and Where
CJI is set to take place on August 16-17, 2024, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
This highly anticipated event is scheduled for the same weekend as the ADCC 2024 World Championships, creating a competitive atmosphere in the heart of one of the world's premier fight capitals.
The venue, known for hosting major combat sports events, will provide an ideal stage for this ground-breaking grappling tournament, featuring some of the best athletes in the sport.
Free to Watch
The best news of all, the event will be live streamed for free on the B-Team's Facebook, Youtube, and X social media accounts.
The Dawn of a New Era?
It's clear that the Craig Jones Invitational might just be the beginning of something big in the grappling world.
Could this be the event that nudges the sport into a new era, where athletes finally get the paydays they deserve? While ADCC’s crown isn’t slipping just yet, the CJI’s bold moves could eventually give it a run for its money.
If CJI keeps attracting top talent and fans, we may be witnessing the dawn of a new era in grappling.
Are we looking at the next big rivalry? Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure: the landscape is shifting, and it’s going to be exciting to watch.
