ONE FC’s grappling division Vice President Tom DeBlass has effectively cleared the path for ONE FC athletes to compete in the upcoming Combat Jiu-Jitsu Invitational 2 (CJI 2), addressing concerns about potential contract conflicts that could have impacted the ambitious team-based tournament.
The clarification comes as CJI founder Craig Jones revealed plans for the second installment of his promotion, which will feature eight elite teams competing for a $1 million prize pool in a quintet-style format.
In a social media post, Tom DeBlass confirmed after speaking with Craig Jones that “there will be no conflict with ONE” and that “ONE grapplers will be able to partake in the next CJI without any issues.”
This development aligns with ONE FC’s grappling division Vice President Leo Vieira’s recent statements about ONE FC’s approach to exclusivity contracts. In a wide-ranging podcast interview, Vieira explained that ONE’s grappling contracts are fundamentally different from their MMA agreements, offering athletes significantly more freedom to compete across various promotions.
“Our contract becomes exclusive if you are our champion. If you have a belt, you become exclusive,” Vieira explained, while noting that even then, athletes can still compete in major tournaments like ADCC, CJI, and IBJJF events. The only restriction applies to competing in events that directly compete with ONE’s superfight format.
The clarification is particularly significant given the anticipated participation of prominent teams like Atos, New Wave, B-Team, Checkmat, Gracie Barra, and 10th Planet in CJI 2’s team-based format. The event, which will return to the Thomas & Mack Center, represents a departure from the individual competition format of the inaugural CJI.
However, questions remain about potential UFC exclusivity issues, as the promotion recently announced its own plans to enter the grappling market. UFC President Dana White’s announcement of a new reality show and plans to consolidate combat sports under the TKO umbrella by 2025 could impact athlete participation in future events.
For now, the removal of ONE FC’s contractual barriers clears one major hurdle for CJI 2’s ambitious team tournament, though the participation of certain teams, particularly New Wave, remains uncertain following recent criticisms from Gordon Ryan regarding the promotion’s first event.
