“As a spectator, absolutely (I’ll be at CJI 2)! As for competing, no,”
Johnson said.
“I only train two or three times a week, and I’m more predominantly in the gi. No gi is kind of not my thing, even if I come from a no gi background.”
The MMA legend, who recently trained with B-Team and Craig Jones’ teammates, showed humility when discussing the skill level of professional grapplers.
“These guys are the cream of the crop. They train every single day. All they do is no gi grappling, so I know my skill level,”
Johnson commented during a vlog visiting the B Team.
Despite Johnson’s clear stance, CJI promoters remain interested in having him participate. CJI Executive Producer Seth Belisle proposed an intriguing matchup:
“Hopefully we can get him a super-fight. I was thinking him and Gabi Garcia in the gi,”
Belisle said.
“We’d kill it, but I don’t know. He’s on the fence.”
Garcia, who previously competed in an intergender super-fight against Craig Jones at the first CJI, is a 6-foot-2 grappling phenomenon with 10 ADCC and IBJJF world championships. Should this match materialize, she would hold a considerable size advantage over the former flyweight champion.
CJI 2 Taking Shape
The announcement comes as CJI 2 continues to take form, with Craig Jones recently revealing that New Wave Jiu-Jitsu will be the first official team to join the competition. The event, scheduled for August in Las Vegas, will feature eight elite teams competing for a $1 million prize in a quintet-style, last-man-standing format.
Jones has also disclosed that three misfit teams representing Europe, Australasia, and the Americas will participate in the competition, with open spots still available for potential competitors.
The team-based format represents a shift from the inaugural CJI event, which focused on individual competition. According to Jones,
“quintet style Last Man Standing team versus team is the most exciting form of grappling.”
While Johnson has ruled himself out as a competitor, the event continues to generate significant buzz within the grappling community, though it will notably proceed without Gordon Ryan, who recently announced he will not participate.
