In a development within the Australian jiu-jitsu community, grappling superstar Craig Jones has publicly addressed why ADCC veteran Josh Saunders isn’t automatically included in the upcoming Craig Jones Invitational 2 (CJI 2) Australian team.
Jones took to social media to share his perspective, posting a video that showed Saunders in an awkward position. The footage combined clips of Saunders wearing StreetX merchandise while promoting his own instructional products, juxtaposed with a conversation between Saunders and ADCC organizer Mo Jassim.
In the promotional clip, Saunders can be heard saying, “Buy my instructional, and buy my f**king rash guard. Why wouldn’t you want it? Look, I support other f**king people. I’m even wearing them in my instructional.”
The video then cuts to Saunders apparently attempting to curry favor with Jassim, stating, “See not all Australians are ungrateful pieces of s*it.”
Jones’ commentary on the situation was pointed: “Not all Aussies are ungrateful pieces of s*it. Just the one that when another Australian raises $1 million to give to a team, he got bullied, so he won’t participate in the event.”
The controversy highlights tensions between the two high-profile Australian grapplers, with Jones suggesting Saunders had previously used Jones’ merchandise to help sell his own products, while later attempting to distance himself from his compatriot.
Instead of automatically including Saunders, Jones has shared Lachlan Giles’ announcement that a 16-competitor trial to determine who will represent Australia at CJI 2. The roster includes notable grapplers such as Tito Carley, Anton Minenko, Kenta Iwamoto, Harry Grech, Thomas David, Josh Shipton, Josh Allsop, Burak Sarman, Alex Hungahunga, Harry Caesar, Siraj Soufi, Adnan Larry, Urosh Culic, Josh Schofield, Mathew Oxenham, and Duke Didier.
The inaugural Craig Jones Invitational made waves in the grappling community for its substantial prize purse, with Jones reportedly putting up $1 million prize as well as substantial show money. The second installment appears to be following suit with high stakes and dramatic storylines already developing.
The Australian grappling community will be watching closely to see who emerges victorious and whether Saunders manages to keep himself relevant without the support of his local community. For now, it’s clear that past accomplishments—even at prestigious events like ADCC—don’t guarantee anyone a spot on Team Australia for CJI 2.
