Craig Jones rocked the grappling world over a month ago with the announcement of his own Jiu-Jitsu tournament. This event, known as the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI 1), is not just another tournament. It’s a game-changer, sparking intense discussions and debates within the sport.
To get you ready for the tournament, we’ve detailed everything you need to know about the Craig Jones Invitational(CJ1). Read below to learn about the rule sets, cash prizes, and all of the top Jiu-Jitsu athletes competing.
The Big Announcement
In June this year, Craig Jones went on the Joe Rogan Experience, shocking the BJJ world. Jones then announced that he was holding his own show, the Craig Jones Invitational(CJI 1).
What made this news so big was that Craig announced the biggest cash prize in the sport’s history. Craig proceeded to put down $1 million in cash on Rogan’s podcast.
Needless to say, CJI 1 has been the talk of the sport since Craig went on the show.
The two-day event will consist of two divisions and multiple superfights. As the hype for the show grows, numerous top grappling athletes are signing on to compete.
What made this news more explosive is that CJI 1 is set on the exact dates and city as ADCC 2024. CJI will be held at the Thomas & Mack Center, while ADCC will be at the T-Mobile Arena.
The two shows will be in direct competition with one another, which is the biggest news of the year.
Why Are Jiu-Jitsu Athletes Joining The Craig Jones Invitational?
Since CJI 1 was announced, numerous champions have signed on to compete. On the B-Team YouTube page, they have been posting videos of different athletes who will be competing.
They were each asked why they had decided to fight on the card instead of ADCC 2024. Every one of the athletes basically gave the same answer: MONEY
Low pay in professional grappling has always been a hot topic. Many of the top organizations promise higher payouts but have yet to deliver.
Of all the athletes interviewed, multi-time world champ Victor Hugo had the best answer. In his CJI interview, Hugo revealed that being a Jiu-Jitsu world champion didn’t make him financially stable.
The former champ stated that after winning his first IBJJF title, he was still doing side jobs to pay his bills.
For many years, the IBJJF has paid their world champions $7k, while ADCC pays their world champions $10k. These grand prizes to be a “world champion” don’t even come close to the costs and time for their preparation.
Athletes who don’t win go home with nothing and are left to pay their expenses.
CJI will pay an estimated 2.3 million dollars to its athletes. Each competitor will receive $10k for each tournament competitor and $1 million each for the two winners.
The Official Craig Jones Invitational Rules
Not all of the details for the CJI rulesets have been released, but here is what we know so far:
Qualifying Rounds: 3 Rounds/5 Mins Each
3 Judges
10-Point Must Scoring System
Open Scoring
All Submissions Are Legal
CJI will also use a pit-like structured mat inspired by the one used in Karate Combat.
Craig also revealed that it’s being discussed to continue matches after the time expires in certain situations. For example, if an athlete gets caught in a submission before time expires, the bell won’t save them.
CJI vs. ADCC
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7_zRSXtI0c/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=2d095536-f5ac-4610-8913-ccc52709fef0
The inaugural Craig Jones Invitational has also created a firestorm in the grappling world. Not everyone, including the ADCC, is happy with Craig’s announcement.
Some fans and grapplers have been critical of the decision to compete against ADCC on the same weekend. They feel this hurts the sport by forcing fans to choose one or another.
Fight 2 Win president Seth Daniels even went as far as threatening Craig Jones’ life. Craig shared on Instagram of a death threat that Daniels sent him on Instagram.
Jones is known to be a bit of a troll, but threatening someone’s life over a grappling event is ridiculous.
The CJI 1 Men’s Tournaments
Over $100k will be up for grabs in the men’s CJI 1 tournament brackets. Craig has signed many of the world’s best grapplers, including champions from Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling. Here is the current list of competitors announced for the event.
Under 80kg
Andrew Tackett
Nicky Ryan
The Ruotolo Brothers
Renato Canuto
Matheus Diniz
Andy Varela
Levi-Jones Leary
Jozef Chen
Eoghan O’Flanagan
Tommy Langaker
Jason Nolf
Lucas Barbosa
Magid Hage
Kenta Iwamoto
Over 80 kg
Nick Rodriguez
Max Gimenis
Joao Pedro Rocha
Luck Rockhold
Mason Fowler
William Thackett
Victor Hugo
Roberto Jimenez
Felipe Andrew
Pat Downey
Inacio Santos
Owen Livesey
Mahamed Aly
Adam Bradley
Pedro Alex
Kyle Boehm
CJI 1 Super Fights
The Craig Jones Invitational will also have numerous super fights at the event. There have already been three announced, which include:
Official Announcers For CJI 1
Josh Palmer
Brandon Mccaghren
Hywel Teague
Alex Wending
The Fight Foundation
As Craig announced on JRE, the Craig Jones Invitational will be 100% non-profit. All ticket sales from the event will be donated to various charities, inspiring a sense of community and giving back.
One of the biggest is The Fight Foundation, which is also sponsoring the show. Check the link below if you’d like to donate to this charity’s fight against children’s cancer.
https://www.thefightfoundation.info/donate
Faqs About The Craig Jones Invitational
When is CJI 1 Taking Place?
The Craig Jones Invitational takes place August 16-17 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Where Can You Buy Tickets?
If you want to see CJI 1 live, you can get your tickets at UNLVTICKETS.com.
Where Can You Watch CJI 1?
The event will be streamed live on YouTube for free, which is excellent news for those who don’t want to pay Flograppling $20 to see one event.
Where Can You Get Up To Date With News on CJI 1?
Aside from JJL, you can keep up to date with all CJI 1 news on the official Craig Jones Invitational Instagram.
You can also watch all of the videos leading up to CJI on B-Team’s official YouTube channel.
Is CJI Good For Jiu Jitsu?
While some believe going head-to-head with ADCC on the same weekend is a bad move, CJI can be a game-changer for the sport. Anything that enables the sport and martial art to grow is excellent.
The Craig Jones Invitational is paying grappling athletes more than ever and attracting a bigger audience. If the event is a success, it will be held annually, with the proceeds going to charity.
Be sure to check out all the tremendous grappling action at CJI 1, which will be aired and free on YouTube on August 16th and 17th.
Bobby is martial artist for almost 20 years with a BJJ black belt under Professor Sergio Miranda. He is also a karate black and former combat sports athlete, who loves all things grappling.
