The Craig Jones Invitational, a groundbreaking new event in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu hosted by Bteam BJJ and Craig Jones himself, is shaping up to be a star-studded affair. With an unprecedented $1,000,000 grand prize for division winners and $10,001 just for participating, the event has caught the attention of some of the sport’s biggest names.
Former UFC champion Luke Rockhold has been personally invited to take part in CJI. Rockhold, who spent part of his career training with Khabib Nurmagomedov at the famed AKA academy, will be looking to showcase his elite grappling skills on this lucrative new stage.
In a major coup for the event, Nicky Ryan announced he will be withdrawing from the ADCC World Championships to instead compete at CJI. Ryan cited the $1 million prize as too enticing to pass up, saying “It’s really hard to say no to a chance to win a million dollars and I truly believe that I can get it done.”
Ryan’s decision to skip ADCC for CJI is rumored to be followed by his teammate Jozef Chen, according to an alleged leak from ADCC promoter Mo Jassim. While not yet officially announced by Chen, his attendance at the lucrative CJI seems likely given his team affiliations.
The news of these high-profile entries follows the earlier announcement that Ffion Davies would be leaving ADCC for a special match at CJI. There are rumblings of potential repercussions for ADCC defectors, with some speculation they may not receive future invites, though an outright ban seems unlikely at this stage.
With its unprecedented prize money and star-studded lineup, the Craig Jones Invitational on August 16th in Las Vegas is shaping up to be a truly historic event that could reshape the landscape of professional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition.
