Ffion Davies, regarded as one of the best female grapplers in the world, is set to take on another grappling superstar, Mackenzie Dern, at the upcoming Craig Jones Invitational. In a recent interview, Davies opened up about her decision to forgo competing at ADCC in favor of this highly anticipated super fight.
Davies, a two-time ADCC champion and multiple-time IBJJF world champion, has been vocal about the pay discrepancy between male and female grapplers. She believes that by withdrawing from ADCC, she can help bring attention to this issue and potentially inspire change.
“The pay discrepancy, particularly between the men and the women in the sport, has been pretty bad,” Davies explained to Luke Thomas. “My hope was that if I remove myself from the division as the current champion, the prize money would then be raised or changes would be made.”
The Craig Jones Invitational, which features a single women’s super fight between Davies and Dern, represents an opportunity for Davies to continue pushing for more equitable compensation in the sport. She hopes that this event can lead to the addition of a full women’s division with “huge prize money just like what the men are getting.”
When asked about the matchup with Dern, Davies expressed her admiration for the former UFC fighter’s grappling abilities, despite the potential impact that Dern’s transition to MMA may have had on her Jiu-Jitsu game.
“Mackenzie has the ‘it’ factor,” Davies said. “She’s fiery, she’s exciting, and she’s going to fight 100% because she doesn’t fight in any other way. I’m very excited for that.”
Davies acknowledged that Dern’s experience in MMA may have brought some changes to her style, such as an increased emphasis on wrestling and top control. However, Davies believes that Dern’s core Jiu-Jitsu skills are still intact and will make for a thrilling matchup.
“She’s obviously still going to have a very good guard, but I also see improvements in her top game and her wrestling too,” Davies said.
As for her own preparation, Davies is excited to showcase her diverse skillset, including her strong judo background, which she feels could give her an edge against the former UFC fighter.
“I come from a judo background, so I started judo when I was seven, and it’s been something that’s really helped me in my Jiu-Jitsu career,” Davies explained. “I do think that my wrestling is obviously something I’d have to still work on a lot because it’s different in MMA and it’s different in the cage, but I do think that would speed the progress up.”
With the Craig Jones Invitational just around the corner, fans of grappling are eagerly anticipating the showdown between these two elite competitors. For Davies, this event represents an opportunity to not only showcase her talent but also to continue her mission of driving positive change in the sport she loves.
