All About Craig Jones Invitational: CJI Payouts, Fighter Line Up & Extra

Earlier than 1993, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was nearly non-existent within the US. However immediately, out of round 50,000 martial arts institutes within the nation, practically 20% are for BJJ. It is likely one of the fastest-growing sports activities and one of many new occasions that has popped up is CJI or the Craig Jones Invitational. Right here’s all it’s good to learn about it!

This event is called after Craig Jones, who is an Australian grappler, and BJJ Blackbelt. He trains out of B staff jiu-jitsu in Austin, Texas. One of many co-founders of the gymnasium, he additionally trains with different massive names like Nick Rodriguez, Nikki Ryan, and Ethan Crelinsten. Jones is likely one of the finest No-Gi grapplers of all time and the two-time ADCC silver medalist determined to begin his promotion to pay fighters higher.

CJI is a nonprofit grappling occasion that’s organized by the Honest Battle Basis. He even went to Joe Rogan’s podcast to advertise his present and made the episode viral by bringing in $1 million money in a bag, which he plans to current to the fighters.

Craig Jones Invitational rivals’ checklist, tips on how to watch, timings, and extra

Primarily, the primary thought of making CJI had arrived from the idea that each one fighters and athletes ought to be paid extra cash, particularly those that are on the high of the game. An expert athlete must spend some huge cash on coaching correctly and turning into a BJJ competitor doesn’t pay nicely, even although it’s a high-stakes event. This is why Jones determined to repair this situation and provides the athletes the popularity and cash that they deserve.

Primarily, the CJI has two primary divisions which are the males’s 176 lbs and males’s 176+ lbs. The rule on this event is to make use of the Karate fight model, which is accomplished with angled partitions to make sure that the fights are action-packed. The event additionally presents recent guidelines to offer a brand new perspective on grappling and has a 10-point system with three rounds price 5 minutes.

This 12 months, it is scheduled for August 16 and 17 and there may be an unbelievable $50,000 bonus accessible for one of the best submission by a fighter.

The checklist of rivals beneath 176 lbs is as follows:

• Andrew Tackett
• Nicky Ryan
• Jozef Chen
• Lucas ‘Hulk’ Barbosa
• Renato Canuto
• Matheus Diniz
• Eoghan O’Flanagan
• Levi Jones-Leary
• Tommy Langaker
• Jason Nolf
• Andy Varela
• Kade Ruotolo
• Tye Ruotolo
• Magid Hage
• Roberto Jimenez
• Kenta Iwamoto

The checklist of fighters beneath the 176+ lbs division:

• William Tackett
• Luke Rockhold
• Nicky Rodriguez
• Joao Gabriel Rocha
• Victor Hugo
• Owen Livesey
• Fellipe Andrew
• Max Gimenis
• Adam Bradley
• Inacio Santos
• Pat Downey
• Pedro Alex
• Kyle Boehm
• Mohamed Aly
• Daniel Greg Kerkvliet
• Lucas Kanard

Superfights

• Craig Jones vs Gabi Garcia
• Ffion Davies vs Mackenzie Dern

Notably, followers can watch CJI Reside & Free on B-Group YouTube, Fb, and X (Twitter). However the larger query is in regards to the prize cash!

How a lot are CJI athletes incomes as in comparison with ADCC?

Jones had left no stone unturned whereas selling his occasion and even went to the Joe Rogan Expertise. The UFC shade commentator welcomed the Australian grappler to his podcast, who dumped $1 million in money out on the desk to advertise his upcoming event. This event is competing in opposition to the Abu Dhabi Fight Membership [ADCC] Submission Combating World Championship.

This group is regarded to be probably the most elite jiu-jitsu competitors on this planet and Jones has been part of it and received a number of medals. Nevertheless, as soon as he realized that they don’t pay the athletes what they deserve, he took issues into his personal arms.

Right here’s what ADCC pays:

• Males’s Divisions 1st place: $10,000
• Males’s Divisions 2nd place: $5,000
• Males’s Divisions third place: $3,000
• Males’s Divisions 4th place: $1,000
• Girls’s Divisions 1st place: $6,000
• Girls’s Divisions 2nd place: $3,000
• Girls’s Divisions third place: $2,000
• Girls’s Divisions 4th place: $1,000
• Superfight Winner: $40,000
• Superfight Loser: $10,000

In distinction, Craig Jones Invitational introduced that it could be giving a $50,000 bonus for one of the best submission. Other than that, it’s already the highest-paying occasion within the historical past of sports activities, due to the $1,000,000 Grand Prize and $10,000 present cash that can be paid to each athlete who participates.

Allow us to additionally focus on Jones’s tremendous combat for a minute as a result of that’s one combat individuals can’t cease raving about.

All about Gabi Garcia vs Craig Jones: Garcia promised to smash her opponent!

This combat goes to be distinctive as a result of first, it’s not between two males or two ladies. It’s between one man and a lady athlete. Craig Jones is making an attempt a combat with Gabrielle ‘Gabi’ Garcia, who is one of the best jiu-jitsu rivals of all time. Garcia is a 4-time ADCC Gold Medallist and a 6-time IBJJF world champion. She at all times had a want to combat a well-known male fighter for a few years, however it was by no means granted to her. Nevertheless, now she has lastly acquired the prospect to enter a match for the primary time in opposition to a male athlete.

This goes to be a novel incident within the historical past of blended martial arts, for certain. “He’s revolutionizing the sport with this concept,” Garcia advised MMA Combating including, “And for me, it’s good advertising. It’s greater than combating a person. The American viewers has by no means actually favored me, ? I’ve at all times handled hate. And for the primary time in my profession, I really feel 99 % of the individuals are on my facet.”

Fortuitously, each of them have educated collectively up to now and for Garcia, it’s good as a result of she has by no means misplaced a combat with him throughout observe. She additionally admitted that she was chopping weight for an MMA combat in Could, so Jones would most likely be heavier than her. This tremendous combat goes to proceed for 3 rounds of 5 minutes every, and Garcia assumes that it’s going to favor her opponent. If it was as much as her, she would have met in a 15-minute contest with no breaks, however she continues to be wonderful with the association.

She additional mentioned, “The reality is, I don’t suppose I’ll submit him as a result of he’s actually good, however don’t count on me to go straightforward on him. It’s been a very long time. … He’s pissing me off for therefore lengthy I wish to smash him. He calls me on a regular basis, he posts about me on a regular basis. Give me a break, Craig! [Laughs.] If I get to a very good place, I’ll management the match as an alternative of exposing myself [to a submission] for nothing, after all.”

Alternatively, Jones, who is recognized to be fun-loving and goofy, needed to make his intentions clear in regards to the combat. He appears fairly severe about it and has wager massive cash on himself to win by way of a leg lock. He wrote on Instagram, “In case you thought I used to be going to take it straightforward on her. 100k of my very own cash on the road.” He even claimed that he would retire if he misplaced the bout in opposition to Garcia. Nevertheless, there’s one thing extra fascinating about this occasion.

Craig Jones talks about his rival, Gordon Ryan, being on the CJI

Proper now, this occasion is the speak of the city and many grapplers who have been presupposed to combat on the ADCC made a last-moment leap into CJI for a high-payment occasion. Alternatively, Gordon Ryan is at present one of the best ADCC competitor and appears to have a beef with Jones. This was one of many explanation why the Australian was requested a couple of months again if he would permit the ‘King’ to compete in his promotion.

Whereas chatting with Chris Williamson in Could, Jones revealed, “I’d let anybody do it. I’ve acquired the custom-gold Craig Jones Invitational ring he’d should kiss, however for certain I’d let him in.” Nevertheless, Ryan is returning to compete in ADCC on August 17 and 18. However the truth that CJI goes to occur earlier than that would possibly inadvertently take a number of the consideration away from Ryan’s ADCC combat.

It stays to see if the $1 million value goes to appeal to extra fighters to compete within the Craig Jones Invitational. What do you concentrate on this new initiative? Inform us within the feedback under.