Craig Jones recently commented on the controversial issue of guard pulling in grappling competitions. This came after a vivid rant from former UFC champion Aljamain Sterling, following a loss in competitive grappling.
He expressed frustration, stating: “I didn’t even know how they score that! Another man can’t drag his a** cheeks from the mat and that’s a win, doing absolutely nothing. Yeah, the sport is Jiu-jitsu guys. But I guarantee you if that was a str eet fight, my man wouldn’t do that sh**. So why are we turning the sport into some type of weird spectacle where you can win a match off of your back, doing absolutely nothing?”
Craig Jones was asked about his comments recently on MMA Hour.
“I tell you what, I totally agree with him,” said Craig Jones. “Like I mean we like we look very gay in what we do, you know. But at the same time if I look at another man across, especially as an Australian, we didn’t grow up with any wrestling, if I look at another man and I go ‘that guy can wrestle,’ well, god damn it. I’m gonna sit down before he takes me down.”
He acknowledged it’s an “unappealing aspect of grappling” but defended it as a necessary technique, saying “It’s just what it is…If I’m a better wrestler, but other than that god damn it. I’m sitting down fast.”
In a twitter exchange, Sterling expressed respect for Jones’ honesty, noting “guys like Craig Jones don’t bother me because they take a defensive position and actively commit to advancing attacks.” However, he acknowledged that not all grapplers follow Jones’ style.
Sterling’s comments reflect a divide in the grappling community over the sport limitations of defensive guard pulling. While some see it as a valid and strategic technique, others consider it overly passive and detrimental to the entertainment value of the sport.
