Joe Rogan recently shared his thoughts on the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI), a groundbreaking grappling tournament that has taken the Brazilian jiu-jitsu world by storm. While Rogan acknowledged the excitement surrounding the event, he expressed reservations about one particular aspect of the competition.
The CJI, brainchild of Australian grappling star Craig Jones, has garnered significant attention due to its unprecedented $1 million prize for each weight division winner. This eye-catching purse has attracted many top-tier athletes, causing a stir in the BJJ community and creating a scheduling conflict with the prestigious ADCC tournament.
Rogan, who sponsors ADCC, discussed the tournament on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, where Jones himself appeared as a guest. During the conversation, Rogan admitted to watching the CJI and praised the high-level grappling on display, particularly highlighting a semifinal match between Ruotolo and Tackett that some have dubbed “the greatest grappling match of all time.”
However, Rogan expressed dissatisfaction with the tournament’s unique “alley” format. The CJI features a narrow, corridor-like mat area bordered by walls, creating a confined space for competitors. Rogan argued that this setup introduces an unnecessary obstacle for the grapplers, potentially limiting their movement and strategic options.
“I don’t like that ring. It’s fun, it’s like something different, but I don’t like it,” Rogan stated on his podcast. He elaborated on his preference for obstacle-free competition areas, suggesting that the ideal setting would allow athletes to move freely without additional barriers to consider.
The podcast host’s comments have sparked debate within the grappling community, with some arguing that traditional open mats provide a purer form of competition, while others were over the moon with the CJI’s innovative approach.
The CJI’s impact extends beyond its novel format and substantial prize money. It has ignited discussions about athlete compensation in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, with Jones himself citing financial reasons for creating the tournament and opting out of ADCC 2024.
And ultimately the audience has spoken with the incredible numbers Craig Jones Invitational managed to pull on Youtube. CJI totaled over 3M views over the course of two days – which is unheard of in the grappling circles with the number of concurrent viewers reaching upto to 150,000. Meanwhile Flograppling’s brief experiment streaming ADCC 2024 peaked at 12,000 live spectators.
