In a bold move that has caught the attention of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community, Craig Jones has issued an ultimatum to FloGrappling following a copyright claim against the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI) YouTube channel.
Jones, speaking from Tokyo, revealed that FloGrappling had filed a copyright claim against CJI’s day one footage. The dispute centers around a commercial from Defenso that aired during both the CJI stream and FloGrappling’s Who’s Number One (WNO) broadcast.
“Flo Sports, you have three hours to remove this copyright claim, or we’re going to run a goddamn Craig Jones Invitational the same day as Who’s Number One every single one of your events,” Jones stated. He added weight to his warning by referencing Moe Jassim, suggesting previous experience with similar situations.
The controversy comes on the heels of CJI’s successful inaugural event, which raised $500,000 for cancer research. The fundraising effort was a collaborative endeavor between CJI, Rich Byrne of Kasai Grappling, and an anonymous donor, each contributing approximately $166,667 to Tap Cancer Out.
Jon Thomas, founder of Tap Cancer Out, expressed gratitude for the contribution, stating, “These gifts help accelerate our lofty goals and plans to give the global BJJ community the opportunity to fight for those in the fight of their lives.”
The dispute threatens to escalate as CJI prepares for its second event. Seth Belisle, CJI promoter, has already confirmed plans to return to Las Vegas’ Thomas & Mack Center in August, with potential expansions to include more weight classes and compelling super fight matchups.
As of publication time, FloGrappling has not publicly responded to Jones’s ultimatum. Footage of CJI is still publicly available.
UPDATE:
