The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world witnessed yet another controversial outburst from Gordon Ryan as the former ADCC champion took aim at Craig Jones Invitational 2’s newly announced main event between Craig Jones and MMA legend Chael Sonnen. Ryan’s latest social media tirade, posted on his Instagram story, reveals a troubling pattern of self-sabotage that threatens to undermine his own teammates’ chances at grappling’s biggest payday.
“1st main event- dude vs chick. 2nd main event- dude vs mma star he heel hooked in 30 seconds when he was 26 as good as he is currently,”
Ryan wrote dismissively about the event’s marquee matches. His commentary concluded with sarcastic praise:
“Thank god for the best event in jiu jitsu! 🤙”
What makes Ryan’s criticism particularly shortsighted is the direct harm it inflicts on his former teammates from New Wave Jiu-Jitsu who stand to benefit enormously from CJI 2’s success. The tournament offers each team member $10,000 just to compete with the winning team splitting a million-dollar prize pool. Helena Crevar, competing in the groundbreaking women’s bracket, has the opportunity to earn $100,000 in what represents a historic moment for female grapplers.
Ryan’s disparaging comments about the event he sarcastically calls
“the best event in jiu jitsu”
directly contradict the interests of athletes he once trained alongside. His personal vendetta against Jones appears to have blinded him to the broader implications of his public statements.
This latest outburst follows Ryan’s celebration of Gable Steveson‘s controversial withdrawal from the tournament’s original main event. When the Olympic wrestling champion pulled out just days before competition citing injury while simultaneously preparing for an MMA debut weeks later, Ryan seized the opportunity to attack Jones’ promotional abilities.
“Gable pulling out of the main event of cji 2 and then going to compete less than 2 weeks later on UFC pass is such a baller move by UFC,”
Ryan wrote, showing more loyalty to a competing promotion than to his former training partners’ financial prospects.
His characterization of the Jones-Sonnen match as meaningless because Jones
“heel hooked him in 30 seconds when he was 26”
ignores the entertainment value and crossover appeal that such events bring to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. These spectacle matches help fund the serious competition that provides life-changing money for elite grapplers.
Ryan’s behavior stems directly from his bitter feelings about Craig Jones leading the charge in the team split. What was once one of the sport’s most dominant training camps fractured amid personal conflicts and business disagreements leaving Ryan isolated while his former teammates aligned with Jones’ promotional vision.
His inability to separate personal grievances from business realities reveals a lack of strategic thinking.
While Ryan claims to remain
“untouchable”
in competition, his continued attacks on CJI 2 suggest someone deeply concerned about being left behind as the sport evolves. Jones’ tournament represents a new model for grappling events—one that prioritizes athlete compensation and fan engagement over traditional hierarchies.
Ryan’s routine disabling of comments on his social media posts after making controversial statements has become a telling pattern. For someone who claims to be unbothered by criticism he appears remarkably sensitive to public feedback.
Gordon Ryan‘s latest attack on CJI 2’s main event reveals an athlete whose personal animosities have overtaken his professional judgment. By undermining an event that directly benefits his former teammates and the sport as a whole, Ryan has positioned himself not as grappling’s heel but as its most counterproductive voice.
