In a recent episode of “On Borrowed Time,” Craig Jones shared his perspective on the use of PEDs in combat sports, advocating for transparency and safety above all. Beyond his candid discussion on PEDs, Jones also addressed athlete contracts, upcoming CJI 2 participants, and the introduction of a women’s division to his premier event.
Promoting Safe Practices
Jones, who has been open about his own PED use in the past, emphasized that his goal isn’t to encourage ster*id use, but rather to promote safe practices among those who choose to use them.
“I’m not encouraging ster*ids, I’m encouraging safe ster*id use,” Jones stated. “When there’s a gray area and young upcoming athletes are under the assumption that all athletes in the sports are using, I just want to let people know what I am on.”
The Australian grappler explained that by sharing his own regimen, which he describes as “mild,” he hopes to discourage extreme approaches to PED use that can lead to serious health consequences. Jones pointed out that many young athletes, seeing the physiques of top competitors, might assume they need to take dangerous amounts compete.
“I wanted to emphasize to the youth that if you’re going to do it, I’m operating on the assumption that the kids that are out there that are going to do it anyway… it’s hard to talk them out of it because they think they need to do it to win in jiu-jitsu competition,” he said.
Jones stressed that athletes don’t necessarily need PEDs to succeed in the sport, citing examples like Lachlan Giles, whom he described as an “unquestionably clean athlete.” However, for those determined to use, Jones advocates working with medical professionals rather than taking advice from unqualified sources.
“There are safe ways of doing this. Make sure you get the help you need, make sure you find a responsible qualified person to guide you on this and don’t just talk to the bodybuilder at the local LA Fitness, who’s going to throw you on everything,” Jones advised.
He also shared an interesting observation from his coaching experience: athletes who begin using PEDs often see their technique suffer as they become overly reliant on their newfound strength.
“When someone jumps on ster*ids, their technique suffers. Because you’re a guy that had to rely on technique to be effective in the sport, and then all of a sudden you’ve got this newfound strength and power and you want to flex that strength and power and you start to overly rely on it and it detracts from your technique and it ruins your cardio,” Jones explained.
Critique of Exclusive Contracts
During the same podcast episode, Jones delivered a sharp critique of exclusive athlete contracts in combat sports, advocating for greater negotiating power for competitors. Jones, who has turned down exclusive contracts himself, emphasized the importance of athletes maintaining leverage in negotiations.
“If you’re an athlete and you have a position of power in the sport, don’t forget the value you hold,” Jones stated. “Your power lies in a single match deal because once you’re shown an exclusive contract, you will not be able to renegotiate that contract very easily at all.”
The Australian grappler highlighted a fundamental problem with exclusive contracts in combat sports: “You are an independent contractor under exclusive contract, which means that they have all the power and zero liability for you… but the exclusivity means that you can’t shop around, you can’t negotiate, you can’t leverage offers against offers.”
Jones contrasted this approach with his own event, CJI, which streams for free on YouTube rather than behind a paywall. He explained that this decision comes from a desire to grow the sport rather than monopolize talent:
“If I didn’t care about the sport, growth of the sport, I’d probably be signing people to exclusive deals as well. I’d be trying to lock them down so no other show can capitalize on them.”
In discussing the recent trend of athletes signing with major organizations like the UFC, Jones acknowledged the prestige but questioned the financial reality:
“Most of the time when people move to the UFC, they’re thinking about their own bank accounts… But there’s only one Conor McGregor… MMA as a whole, it’s not a very high-paying sport.”
Jones praised organizations that allow their contracted athletes to participate in events like CJI, specifically mentioning ONE Championship:
“This is a giant risk to allow them to go compete in another show because ultimately you risk your athlete’s safety, you risk your athlete’s brand… They’re putting aside the investment aspect of what they’re doing for these athletes and really seeing the bigger picture.”
CJI 2 Updates: Missing Stars and New Additions
Jones also provided updates on the upcoming CJI 2 event, scheduled for August 30-31, revealing both disappointments and exciting additions to the tournament lineup.
Regarding some of the sport’s biggest stars, Roberto Jimenez declined participating, didn’t really explain why. “I’m not going to press him on it. I thought he’s going to be a part of it, he’s not. That’s sad for me just from a fan perspective.”
As for Diego Pato, Jones revealed that negotiations had started but eventually stalled:
“I was speaking to Pato back and forth and was speaking about him taking a wildcard spot but then he just stopped responding to me. He treated me like most women in my life treat me at one point or another—they just stopped communicating. So Pato as of right now is not in the event.”
This is particularly disappointing for Jones, who expressed his admiration for Pato:
“Pato is my personal favorite athlete out there in the sport today. He’s the best leg locker in the world. It sucks for the event but also hurts on a personal level because I’d love to see Pato out there leglock some big guys.”
Regarding Mica Galvao, Jones was equally uncertain:
“Mica’s a bit of a mystery. The more you talk to him, the more questions you have. As it stands right now, we don’t have Mica on the event, which sucks. Mica is one of those guys that could run a whole team.”
Women’s Division Introduction at CJI 2
In a major announcement, Jones confirmed that CJI 2 will feature a women’s division, elevating the event’s significance and expanding its competitive landscape.
“We’ve been planning this for a long time,” Jones explained. “We’ve always had the plans. We’re just trying to navigate how we get the women’s division in there.”
The CJI 2 women’s competition will showcase eight of the world’s best female competitors, creating what Jones describes as a championship-caliber tournament to determine “the best woman in the world.” The format will include an eight-person bracket along with two super fights, adding significant depth to the event’s programming.
“It’s not just because we want to support women’s jiu-jitsu. Shouldn’t it be a thing to support jiu-jitsu?” he noted.
The stakes for the women’s division will mirror those of the men’s competition, with Jones firmly believing in an all-or-nothing approach to prize money:
“That’s the stressful thing when it’s $1 million versus $10,000. That’s a tight, tight race,” Jones explained. “I’m a big fan of all or nothing really here. As a man who’s only ever came second, I don’t believe in second place prizes. I want everything on the line in that final.”
Looking Ahead
Jones‘s candid discussion represents a departure from the secrecy that typically surrounds PED use in combat sports, offering a unique perspective on how athletes might approach these questions with health and safety in mind. His transparency about performance enhancement, combined with his advocacy for athlete rights and commitment to growing the sport through accessible events, positions him as a unique voice in the jiu-jitsu community.
The grappler’s upcoming bout against Olympic gold medalist wrestler Gable Steveson at CJI 2 adds another layer of anticipation to an event that promises to push boundaries both in competition and in the business of combat sports. With ticket sales progressing exceptionally well—over 60-65% sold within days of going on sale—CJI 2 appears set to build on the success of its inaugural event while addressing some of the growing pains from the first iteration.
CJI 2 will stream live and free on YouTube on August 30-31 at the Thomas & Mac Arena, continuing Jones‘ mission to grow the sport while making it accessible to all fans.
