In a heated response to recent criticism, grappling star Craig Jones has fired back at Denny Prokopos while revealing that Prokopos had previously requested an invitation to compete at Craig Jones Invitational (CJI).
The exchange began after Prokopos publicly criticized Jones for his candid admissions about traveling to Mexico to obtain PEDs. Prokopos had stated that Jones was “telling your kids to cross the border into Mexico and inject themselves with every d*ug they can and not do any blood work.”
Jones was open about his PED use in lead up to CJI. “The PCT (post-cycle therapy) didn’t feel good,” Jones said on a podcast. “I felt emotionally unhealthy, so I ended up crossing the border into Mexico, going to a pharmacy, and slamming some test into my quad. From that point on, I never really came off.”
Denny Prokopos previously experienced mental health challenges including what he described as two psychotic episodes. He was candid about struggling to understand these experiences in an interview, noting that even medical professionals couldn’t provide satisfactory explanations for what happened to him.
Jones responded with a pointed reference to Prokopos’s physical appearance, specifically targeting his left eye condition. “It’s both a blessing and a curse. When he was competing, he was very talented because he never knew which limb he was going to attack,” Jones said. “But when it comes to his healthcare recommendations, I wouldn’t trust him or his left eye.”
The Australian grappler then revealed that despite Prokopos’s public criticism, he had previously sought to participate in Jones’s prestigious invitation-only competition. This disclosure adds another layer to their ongoing public disagreement, suggesting a complex relationship between the two athletes.
Jones went on to promote his own healthcare provider,.
The exchange highlights the ongoing discussions within the grappling community about performance enhancement and athlete health management, while also revealing the sometimes complicated professional relationships between competitors in the sport.
CJI 2 is a team based Quintet event featuring 8 teams duking it out for $1M prize and it’s likely Eddie Bravo’s 10th planet will participate.
Prokopos started training at Charles Gracie’s academy in 2001 at age 12. He later left Charles Gracie’s due to political issues and after an incident where Charles confronted him at a tournament. Separately, Prokopos had been taking private lessons with Eddie Bravo and eventually decided to represent 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu after the situation with Charles Gracie limited his training options.
