Owen Jones and Max Hanson are trying to drum up publicity for Polaris promotion. What makes them special is they’re airing out grievances over how much competitors are actually earning.
It started with Owen Jones going on record about Max Hanson‘s compensation, or rather the apparent lack of it. According to Jones, Hanson competes without requiring payment, a practice Jones clearly views as undercutting others on the roster.
“He also loves to compete for free, so you don’t even have to pay him. You just have to pay me and he’ll compete for free.”
Jones then floated the idea of a winner takes all match between the two. When asked whether he’d be interested, he was direct in his assessment of his rival.
“Yeah, with Max, yeah. He’s a*s, yeah. I’ll do it for sure. He’s so terrible.”
He went further, questioning the credibility Hanson has built for himself online, arguing that his reputation falls apart when measured against actual results on the mat.
“He talks online like he’s good, like he’s won something. The guy’s never even won trials. He got gifted an invite to ADCC at 170 lbs (77 kg) and just got pumped by Jonnatas Gracie. I don’t want to hear it, man. He’s mid.”
He’s refering to Hanson’s 0-9 loss to Gracie at ADCC in 2024.
Max Hanson‘s response arrived quickly via Instagram and was equally pointed.
“you’re too low IQ to establish an income BY YOURSELF without asking for handouts like 95% of BJJ athletes.”
Hanson assessed Jones’s competitive game as one dimensional and static, a style that in his view had not developed to the point of presenting any real threat.
“You’re a bad example for the sport and after I beat you, it will be the end, no one will talk about you, no one will care about you, your career will fade into what ifs and ‘how could I have lost so bad?'”
He closed with a measured but unsparing forecast:
“I’m stronger, more technical and more experienced. You have zero chance to ever beat me and you know this in your heart.”
Polaris appears to be tightening its operations in response to shrinking revenue and relevance. After losing its position on UFC’s subscription service and returning to FloGrappling, the promotion introduced an open qualifier to fill a title contender spot rather than paying established athletes. This resulted in a quick finish and a predictable outcome at the recent event.
Not to be outdone, their main event winner, Ethan Crelinsten, overshadowed his submission finish by pleading for a UFC BJJ contract while literally standing on stage with the Polaris title.
This shift, alongside declining public interest since its 2018–2019 peak and reduced visibility in key markets like the U.S., suggests Polaris can no longer compete financially with better-funded events or newer promotions backed by external capital.
Perhaps the peak irony is that Polaris allegedly paid for these statements to be reshared across Brazilian social media accounts after one of the founders criticized the same media venue for pay-to-play promotion of UFC BJJ.
