In a recent episode of his Jaxxon podcast, former UFC champion Luke Rockhold shared his perspective on the current state of competitive grappling, particularly the ADCC (Abu Dhabi Combat Championship) tournament. Rockhold expressed concerns that the prestigious event has been “watering down” the sport, failing to attract and showcase the best talent.
Rockhold’s comments came as he discussed the inaugural Craig Jones Invitational, which takes place the same weekend as the latest ADCC event. The UFC veteran praised the new tournament, organized by renowned grappler Craig Jones, for its efforts to elevate the sport and provide appropriate compensation for top athletes.
“Money talks, and it’s bringing awareness to the sport where they’ve been kind of watering it down through ADCC, and it’s just getting worse and worse,” Rockhol said. “The top athletes competing, killing each other month in and month out to go to this Olympics quote-unquote for $10,000 of s*it? You’re not going to get the best grappling, you’re not going to get the best performance.”
Rockhol emphasized that fans want to see the absolute best grapplers compete at the highest level, and events like the Craig Jones Invitational are taking steps to make that a reality. He expressed his happiness at being a part of this movement to elevate the sport and provide more lucrative opportunities for the top talents.
The former UFC champion’s comments highlight the ongoing debate within the grappling community about the direction of major tournaments, such as ADCC, and the need to ensure that the sport’s premier events are truly showcasing the finest practitioners.
