The ongoing tension between the UFC and independent Brazilian jiu-jitsu promotions has taken another turn with revelations from Andrew Tackett about the circumstances surrounding his decision to sign exclusively with the mixed martial arts organization.
Speaking on The Simple Man podcast, Tackett provided new details about the lengthy negotiations that ultimately led him and his brother William to choose UFC contracts over competing in high-profile grappling events like the Craig Jones Invitational.
“We’ve been talking the UFC for about a year now and like maybe a little over a year about like contracts about like exclusivity non-exclusivity and our goal was always like be able to do CJI and ADCCs while still doing UFC and they were going to let us,” Tackett explained during the interview.
The revelation suggests that the Tackett brothers’ original plan would have allowed them to maintain their presence in the broader grappling community while also participating in the UFC’s Brazilian jiu-jitsu initiatives. According to Tackett, this arrangement had initial approval from the promotion.
“They were like yeah you can do CJI you can do it,” he stated, indicating that UFC officials had initially green-lit their participation in Craig Jones‘s tournament alongside their UFC commitments.
However, the situation changed as tensions developed between the UFC and CJI organizers. Tackett described how interpersonal conflicts ultimately derailed the original agreement.
“And then like there was just like butt hurts between like Craig and UFC for good reasons so then they were like no you guys are no longer doing CJI,” he revealed.
This shift forced the brothers into a difficult position after they had already committed significant time and energy to the UFC negotiation process. Despite their enthusiasm for competing in diverse grappling competitions, they ultimately chose to honor their UFC commitments.
“And we were already so fully committed we were like okay that’s fine with us which sucks because man I freaking love it I love CJI,” Tackett admitted, expressing genuine disappointment about missing the opportunity to compete in Jones‘s event.
The decision came down to a choice between maintaining flexibility to compete across multiple organizations or embracing the stability offered by an exclusive UFC relationship. For Tackett, the appeal of predictable income and career security ultimately proved decisive.
“But it was either like do CJI and keep competing for these organizations or just get with the UFC and have like consistency and I was like man I just want consistency steady pace,” he explained.
These comments provide context for Craig Jones‘s earlier response to the Tackett brothers’ decision. The CJI founder had acknowledged their choice while questioning whether exclusive deals truly benefit the sport’s overall growth.
“I love the Tacketts and still do. They chose steady income which is fine,” Jones had stated, while also noting his disagreement with framing such decisions as beneficial for Brazilian jiu-jitsu’s development.
Jones had revealed his own efforts to accommodate the brothers, including offering them the opportunity to form their own team for the tournament.
“I offered them a team checkmat or to build their own Americas misfits team,” he explained, expressing disappointment that negotiations ultimately fell through.
With major organizations like the UFC entering the Brazilian jiu-jitsu space, athletes must navigate competing interests and exclusive arrangements that didn’t exist in previous generations.
