Craig Jones has never been one to mince words and his upcoming bout with Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson at CJI 2 represents more than just another showcase—it’s his chance to prove a fundamental point about the superiority of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu over wrestling.
“I really do want to show wrestlers that like you guys spend so much time on takedowns, you have no idea what to do on the ground,”
Jones declared during his recent appearance on the Flograppling Show. His critique cuts deep into what he sees as wrestling’s fundamental limitation:
“It’s like foreplay without the payoff. Wrestling’s like a grappling art without submissions.”
This philosophical divide between the arts has fueled Jones‘s motivation for the match. Drawing parallels to the early days of mixed martial arts, he referenced the Gracie family’s dominance against other combat arts though he’s hoping for a better outcome than Hélio Gracie‘s encounter with Masahiko Kimura.
“I hope this doesn’t look like Hélio Gracie versus Kimura. Hopefully it doesn’t end up like that where I get my arm broken,”
Jones admitted with characteristic dark humor.
The Australian grappler’s strategy is clear: exploit wrestling’s ground game deficiencies.
“I think if I do make a leg connection, I think it’s over,”
he explained though he acknowledges the significant challenges ahead. Steveson‘s athletic ability and low center of gravity present unique problems especially given Jones‘s admitted lack of proper preparation due to his promotional duties.
Jones‘s criticism extends beyond technique to the very nature of wrestling as entertainment. Referencing Khamzat Chimaev‘s recent dominant but static performance, he observed:
“That was a wet rag, you know what I mean? Like Dricus (Du Plessis) spent more time on the cross than Christ in that match. They don’t know what to do when it hits the ground.”
The promotional aspect of this event has transformed Jones from athlete to businessman, a transition he describes as exhausting.
“I’ve been broken down on the side of the road close to an emotional meltdown,”
he joked, referring to his struggles with his infamous pink car while managing CJI 2’s logistics. The event features a revolutionary quintet format with Royal Rumble-style reveals designed to showcase the strategic depth that Jones believes wrestling lacks.
Despite his confidence in jiu-jitsu’s superiority, Jones remains realistic about his chances.
“If we’re going past 3 minutes, we’re in trouble,”
he admitted, acknowledging that his conditioning has suffered during his promotional tour. His dream scenario involves heel-hooking Steveson early then capitalizing on any resulting injury to demonstrate jiu-jitsu’s dominance through superior ground control.
The match represents more than personal ambition for Jones—it’s about validating jiu-jitsu’s completeness as a grappling art. While wrestlers excel at the takedown Jones argues they’re fundamentally unprepared for what happens next.
“It’s a combat art without striking. Wrestling’s like a grappling art without submissions,”
he explained using an analogy that perfectly captures his perspective on the sport’s limitations.
Whether Jones can back up his bold claims against one of wrestling’s most accomplished athletes remains to be seen. But win or lose his message is clear: technical superiority on the ground trumps athletic dominance in takedowns. For Jones this bout isn’t just about beating Gable Steveson—it’s about proving that wrestling’s singular focus leaves practitioners woefully unprepared for the chess match that follows the takedown.
As he puts it with typical Australian directness:
“What are you guys doing here?”
It’s a question the wrestling community will have the chance to answer when these two worlds collide at CJI 2.
