Grappling superstar Craig Jones has been making waves with his ambitious plans for a massive $1 million jiu-jitsu tournament dubbed the “Craig Jones Invitational” formerly known as the “BDCC.” In a series of social media posts and a recent Reddit Q&A session, Jones has revealed new details about the unprecedented event.
The Craig Jones Invitational will take place on August 16th and 17th in Las Vegas at the Thomas & Mack Center, which previously hosted ADCC. In an unprecedented move, the event will stream for free on YouTube rather than being behind a paywall.
Jones stated his intention is to pay the invited athletes far more than they could earn at ADCC, with each of the 32 participants receiving $10,001 just to show up, in addition to the $1 million prize for the overall winner of each 16-man division.
“I’m running an event that pays athletes to win 100x what ADCC pays them to win and I’m donating the entirety of ticket sales to charity,” Jones wrote on Reddit.
He confirmed having the funds secured, shooting down skepticism. “Those screenshots he posted of the money in an account, those are very real. He has the money,” according to top grappler Nicky Ryan.
While only two men’s divisions are planned for this inaugural event, Jones expressed his goal of eventually including women’s divisions as well, stating “it would be a shame to not have people like Ffion [Davies] involved.”
The timing of the Craig Jones Invitational has been a point of controversy, as it appears to directly conflict with ADCC in September. ADCC promoter Mo Jassim criticized Jones’ intentions, saying “to just do it to counterprogram us or spite us, that’s just not the right reasons.”
However, Jones seems intent on shaking up the jiu-jitsu landscape, writing “Athletes stand together as a union or they accept the status quo. Given the show money we offer they really don’t lose much.”
He rallied the jiu-jitsu community to push athletes towards his big-money event: “Reach out to them for me. Nudge them in the right direction.”
With an unprecedented $1 million prize purse, free YouTube streaming, and direct competition with ADCC’s timing, the Craig Jones Invitational is shaping up to be a pivotal moment for the sport of jiu-jitsu and athlete compensation. All eyes are on Jones to deliver on his lucrative vision.
ADCC is already reportedly taking the first hits, with William Tackett signing up for CJI over the competition he qualified for.
