In a surprising Instagram video, Craig Jones, who won the silver medal at the prestigious ADCC submission grappling tournament in 2019 (and also won silver in 2022), revealed that he will not be competing at this year’s event. However, Jones said he will still be involved, taking on the unconventional role of percussionist.
“I’ll still be at ADCC. I’ve just been sort of taking on a different role,” Jones stated. “I don’t know if you remember the guys playing the f***ing bongos, playing the drums last time. Well, turns out after further inspection, these guys get paid more to participate than the grapplers. So I will be adequately playing the goddamn bongos this time.”
Jones drew a parallel between ADCC and the Olympic Games, suggesting the former lacks the prestige and recognition of the latter among the general public. He contrasted an Olympian’s ability to garner immediate respect by announcing their Olympic participation versus the lack of understanding about ADCC.
In the latter part of the video, Jones advocated for rising grappling star J-Rod to receive his ADCC invite. Praising J-Rod’s exciting style and impressive seven submissions at the previous trials event, Jones stated, “Give this man my invite. That’s the right thing to do.”
While unusual, Jones’ decision to take on a performance role rather than compete appears tongue-in-cheek, likely shining a light on the financial realities faced by elite grapplers. His invite for J-Rod serves as a co-sign for one of the sport’s most promising athletes.
Ultimately, the BJJ community stands to lose the most by losing a grappler who has general appeal for once. Thanks to his exciting style and ability to market himself outside of the BJJ community, Jones provided a respite from the usual Acai and prayers schtick we’re so used to.
