In a recent video statement, grappling standout William Tackett addressed his and brother Andrew’s decision to forgo competing in the upcoming CJI 2 tournament, instead focusing on their new UFC contracts.
Tackett began by reflecting on their bold move last year when they withdrew from ADCC, a prestigious grappling competition they had qualified for, to participate in the inaugural Craig Jones Invitational (CJI). “We took a lot of risk there,” Tackett explained in a video, noting they likely “burnt the bridge with ADCC” and would need to requalify through trials if they ever wanted to return to that competition.
“We had this offer from the UFC and they talked about how they want to make the sport of jiu-jitsu kind of like their new thing. They want to blow it up kind of how they did Power Slap,” Tackett explained, noting that the opportunity to be part of the UFC’s jiu-jitsu expansion was too significant to pass up.
The decision to join CJI was financially motivated, with the tournament offering $10,001 just to show up and compete, along with a million-dollar prize pool—significantly more than ADCC’s $10,000 winner’s purse with minimal travel coverage. For the Tackett brothers, it was “a little bit of a no-brainer” despite the risks.
Now, facing the decision about CJI 2, Tackett cited several factors influencing their choice to prioritize their UFC contracts:
The team format of CJI 2 presented logistical challenges. “We don’t really belong to a solid team,” Tackett explained, noting that they couldn’t assemble a competitive squad to match powerhouses like New Wave or B Team. “I’m not going to really want to compete in something unless I know I have a chance of winning.”
Third, the prize structure changed for CJI 2. “It’s not even a million dollars to win it. This year it’s a million dollars for the team to win it,” Tackett noted, meaning any winnings would be divided among team members.
Perhaps more significantly, Tackett expressed confidence in the UFC’s ability to elevate their careers. “UFC is really trying to change the sport,” he said. “The thing that the UFC does is they take athletes and they build them up to really famous and successful individuals and they build their own stars.”
(editor’s note: Here’s to hoping he hasn’t googled his coach Rerisson Gabriel, because I just had to just to spell his name.)
Tackett emphasized there’s “definitely no bad blood” between him and the CJI organizers, and he still plans to attend the event as a spectator. Looking ahead, he left the door open for future CJI participation: “Maybe next year when the next CJI comes around, they mentioned that they’re going to be going back to like singular divisions… If they do that next year, then yeah, we’ll totally hop in.”
For now, Tackett is focused on his upcoming UFC appearances, though specific dates haven’t been announced. “I’m even more excited to fight for the UFC this year and just fulfill all my matches with them alongside my brother Andrew Tackett,” he concluded.
