Mo Jassim, the now former head organizer of ADCC , announced his departure from the organization earlier today. However, the circumstances surrounding his exit have become a subject of speculation, with grappling superstar Craig Jones quick to imply that Jassim’s departure was less than voluntary.
Jassim’s announcement came via a heartfelt statement, thanking various individuals including Sheikh Tahnoon, Guy Neivens, and the team at Flograppling. He expressed pride in his accomplishments, having been “the only person to organize 3 ADCC worlds.” Jassim concluded by stating his continued loyalty to ADCC and his excitement to return to being “just a fan.”
However, Craig Jones was quick to respond with a humorous video suggesting that Jassim had been fired rather than stepping down voluntarily. While Jones’ post was clearly meant to be tongue-in-cheek, it has raised eyebrows in the grappling community.
“Is that Mr Mo Jassim? Craig Jones here calling about the Abu Dhabi Dentistry Group. Now we have heard you just got fired. Oh I apologize, I apologize. You did quit. The company was downsizing. Now you are in fact late on that repayment on those beautiful veneers of yours and we’re going to need that money. So whoa whoa whoa let me stop you right there. We do not accept prestige as a form of payment in Abu Dhabi. You’re gonna have to get us some real money. I don’t care about what fake jobs you promise in the future. We’re gonna need that money soon. We’re gonna repossess those veneers by force. ”
Adding fuel to the speculation, observers noted that Jassim had deleted comments regarding the organization of ADCC 2026 from the official ADCC Discord channel. This action, coupled with Jones’ playful jab, has led some to question the true nature of Jassim’s departure.
The tension between Jassim and Jones is not new. In a livestream on September 30th, Jassim addressed his relationship with Jones, stating, “I don’t hate Craig. I really don’t. I just think it’s bizarre because the last time I spoke to him, like for the last year, everything was pleasant. Then all of a sudden, he went on this tirade.”
The root of the conflict can be traced back to February 2024, when Jones publicly criticized ADCC’s prize structure. Despite the event’s significant growth in attendance and visibility, prize money for division winners had remained stagnant at $10,000. Jones argued that the financial rewards should increase to match the sport’s growth, especially given the substantial streaming rights deals.
This criticism led to a public dispute, with Jones eventually securing funding for his own event, The Craig Jones Invitational (CJI). The CJI offered unprecedented prize money, which in turn affected ADCC’s ability to attract top talent for its 2024 event.
ADCC 2024 received mixed reviews, with its (free) livestream reportedly peaking at around 15,000 viewers, a fraction of the 150,000 peak viewers claimed by the CJI stream. Following the event, Jassim had announced plans for a lengthy vacation before decisions about ADCC 2026 would be made.
