In a recent appearance on the Jits and Giggles podcast, former ADCC production manager Seth Daniels candidly addressed his current relationship with grappling superstar Craig Jones following their public feud that included threatening messages from Daniels.
The controversy erupted when Daniels, who had worked with ADCC since 2019, sent threatening messages to Jones amid tensions over Jones’ departure from ADCC along with several other athletes culminating in starting Craig Jones Invitational. In a moment of self-reflection, Daniels admitted he “acted like a f**king idiot last year” when he sent the threatening messages that Jones later made public.
“I was just f**ked up and pissed off and out of my mind,” Daniels explained during the podcast. “The only thing I kill is like a f**king box of donuts and a pack of monsters. I can’t even fight. I can’t even throw a punch.”
Despite the heated exchange that garnered significant attention in the grappling community, Daniels revealed that he and Jones have since reached a level of understanding. “He told me like everything’s water under the bridge. Like we’re cool. We’ll never be friends or anything, but he’s doing his thing, I’m doing my thing,” Daniels shared.
In a gesture toward reconciliation, Daniels recently reached out to Jones after mentioning him in another podcast interview: “I messaged him and I was just like, ‘Hey man, I said some stuff about your event on this podcast. I wasn’t talking s*it, I was giving you props for what you did and all the money you gave away.'”
The fallout from the threatening messages had significant professional consequences for Daniels, who claims it “cost me my job and all my finances.” He acknowledged that when Jones posted the messages publicly, it “worked out great for him” but had devastating effects on Daniels’ career.
However, this account conflicts with Jones’ claims on the El Segundo podcast that ADCC didn’t actually terminate Daniels’ employment following the incident. According to Jones, ADCC merely relegated Daniels to a behind-the-scenes role where he would not be present at events but would still be “coordinating everything” and “talking to the athletes.”
Despite the controversy surrounding his departure from ADCC following Mo Jassim’s retirement from running ADCC, Daniels maintains he still holds great respect for the organization. “I love all of them. I loved working with every single one of them. If they ever wanted me back, which I’m sure they won’t because they don’t need me, I would go back in a heartbeat just because I believe in what they’re doing.”
Daniels is now focusing exclusively on his promotion, which he founded in 2008 and has now reached nearly 280 events. Though he acknowledges facing financial challenges with the promotion, he remains committed to growing the sport and providing opportunities for grapplers across the country.
