Craig Jones disclosed that UFC had plans for him to coach against Gordon Ryan in a potential “Ultimate Fighter” type format, but the match-up never materialized because Ryan reportedly refused to work alongside Jones.
During a recent episode of The B-Team podcast, Jones revealed this missed opportunity while discussing various grappling promotions and events.
“The only way we could have saved that show was some real heat, and that would have been me and Gordon as coaches,” Jones explained. “But as far as I know, Gordon refused to coach alongside me.”
Jones suggested that such a coaching rivalry would have generated significant interest and viewership for the promotion, comparing it to the appeal that Conor McGregor brought to The Ultimate Fighter format when he was a coach.
“For an organization to think they can replicate that with grapplers that don’t know how to speak is going to be very difficult,” Jones said, criticizing what he perceives as a dated format. “It’s a terrible investment.”
It’s interesting to hear Jones was interested considering he has been adamant that UFC’s exclusive contracts are a bad deal.
Jones also confirmed he received an offer to coach against Musumeci and compete against him but characterized it as a ‘bad deal’
The Australian grappler teased fans previously by posting an image of himself and Ryan side-by-side, suggesting they would be coaches. However, he now admits this was premature and intended to stir interest.
“I did speak to them directly, and they said, ‘Hey, this is in complete confidence.’ And everything they told me about who the coaches were, I immediately got off the phone and just posted that me and Gordon were the coaches,” Jones confessed. “Because I truly believed that could have been some good television.”
The rivalry between Jones and Ryan has been well-documented in the grappling community, with both athletes taking shots at each other through social media and interviews. This latest revelation adds another chapter to their ongoing feud.
Jones is currently preparing for his CJI2 event in August, which will feature a Quintet-style format and include his highly anticipated match against Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson.
