BJJ black belt Josh Mancuso has made the bold claim that UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones would tap submission specialist Craig Jones “10/10 times in a NoGi submission grappling match.”
The assertion, shared on social media, immediately drew skepticism and pushback from grappling enthusiasts who view Craig Jones as one of the premier submission artists in the world today.
Craig Jones, known for his heel hook prowess and exceptional leg lock game, has built a reputation not only for his technical skills but also for his willingness to challenge the status quo. The Australian grappler has become a polarizing figure in the BJJ world, having started his own promotion to successfully provoke changes in the prestigious ADCC competition format.
Mancuso‘s claim appears particularly contentious given the significant experience gap between the two. While Jon Jones holds a purple belt in BJJ under respected instructor Tussa Alencar and has trained with world champion Gordon Ryan, he remains primarily an MMA fighter rather than a dedicated jiu-jitsu specialist. Craig Jones is currently set to face another one of their training partners in Gable Stevenson who is booked for a special grappling match at CJI 2.
Ryan’s former sponsor indicated that Gordon Ryan “could submit Jon at will” during their training sessions, raising further questions about the validity of the claim against Craig Jones.
The UFC champion has previously competed in Chael Sonnen’s Submission Underground grappling promotion but reportedly insisted on facing only MMA-based grapplers rather than pure jiu-jitsu specialists. Jones was reportedly even hesitant to face Dillon Danis, who competed at a significantly lower weight class at the time.
Reactions to Mancuso‘s statement have been predominantly dismissive.
“No shot lol”
“I have to agree that Craig probably catches a heel or triangle or something in a no time limit sub only match. Jon Jones is a good strategist though, so I imagine he would prepare for that.”
“Jon Jones gets DQ’d for eye pokes in a grappling match.”
While Jones is widely regarded as one of the greatest MMA stars of all time with exceptional wrestling and unorthodox grappling in the cage, pure submission grappling represents a different competitive environment without the threat of strikes.
Interestingly, this hypothetical matchup discussion comes as Craig Jones recently appeared in a comedic video with UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, where they playfully mocked Jon Jones‘ behavior during his recent trip to Thailand. The video showed Jones mimicking a now-viral clip of Jones grabbing a motorcycle driver’s hair before riding off.
“Only one way to find out, make it happen.”
One thing’s for sure, with their reputation only one would survive the afterparty.
