Elite wrestler Pat Downey has now joined the over 80kg division at the Craig Jones Invitational. Although he doesn’t have anywhere near as much Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu experience as any of the other men in his bracket, he has probably spent more time on the mats in general than the majority of them.
Downey was an incredible talent throughout his career in wrestling, with his highest achievements being an NJCAA title and his status as an NCAA Division I All-American, followed by a US National championship in freestyle wrestling. He has since transitioned to submission grappling and even had a short professional MMA career at Bellator as well. Downey had a lot of personal struggles which ended up affecting his performance.
One of Downey’s biggest challenges in his Jiu-Jitsu journey was facing Gordon Ryan in a pair of matches under each of their preferred rulesets. He’s since had several more matches with mixed results and went 1-1 during his time as a professional MMA star before eventually being released by Bellator.
Despite his ups and downs, a fully-motivated Downey is still an interesting opponent, and with a million dollars on the line, he will definitely be giving it everything he has. Downey isn’t the first wrestler to join the incredibly stacked lineup for the Craig Jones Invitational either, as three-time NCAA Division I champion Jason Nolf has also signed up for the under 80kg division.
One of the most intriguing matchups in the over 80kg division could be between Downey and Nick Rodriguez, as the two have a history in the wrestling realm. Rodriguez lost a match to Downey 12-0 several years ago, and he will undoubtedly be out for revenge.
The Craig Jones Invitational announced the news that Pat Downey will be entering the over 80kg division in a recent post to their official Instagram account.
