Craig Jones Invitational: Results and Aftermath
It’s safe to say that CJI lived up to it’s expectations with it’s fair share of upset, barn-burners, and of course some WWE-style shenanigans for sheer entertainment. Overall, there’s not much to complain about, and much praise and appreciation is warranted.
For those that aren’t familiar with the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI) and related drama with ADCC, see my previous post comparing the two (here).
The Good:
The most obvious success was that the money was real, $10,000 for athletes to show up, and $1,000,000 to the winner of each of two divisions.
The announcers, commentary, and ring-side interviews were all excellent. I’m a longtime fan of Brandon McCaghren’s technical analysis and videos on YouTube. The various personalities brought a professional feel, much to the point, that “this was a real sport” — not just something your buddies at a bar were putting on. For that matter, the streaming production went off without a hitch, something other broadcasts have notoriously struggled with.
Any new ruleset is a bit of a gamble, but this seemed to work fine. Essentially, every match had the opportunity for submission, but judges’ scoring was similar to MMA; using a 10-minus system for 3 x 5 minute rounds (5 rounds for the finals).
The matches themselves were pretty entertaining — the semifinal match between Kade Ruotolo and Andrew Tackett being the most notable. There was no shortage of upsets either; specifically Lucas Kanard taking out one of the favorites, Victor Hugo, in the first round.
Speaking of entertainment, the Gabbi vs. Craig superfight was clearly staged, but in a WWE kind of entertaining way where everyone still watched and loved it anyway.
We all know drama sells, so of course their had to be some. Nick Rodriguez looked the most complete he’s ever been, going 4/4 submissions and winning the Over 80Kg bracket. Of course, that meant calling out Gordon Ryan for $2M bet match!
The Great:
I loved seeing some high-level wrestlers like Jason Nolf and Pat Downey getting thrown in the mix, not to mention seeing catch wrestling legend Eric Paulson in the corner of Kade Ruotolo. I’ve said for years that I would love to see more (catch) wrestlers in ADCC and high-level BJJ tournaments.
One of the most notable additions to CJI was “open” scoring. The difference here, from most 10-point systems, was that each judge’s score was broadcast on the overhead monitor so all fighters and spectators knew the result of the round in real time.
I also loved the Combat Karate “pit.” It’s a great problem solver. In typical grappling tournaments the work area is either on the floor — often resulting in competitors crashing into tables and media personnel — or on an elevated stage which is a huge risk for falling. Of course, the angle of the wall is also a unique factor because one cannot use it the same way as a cage in MMA.
Lastly, while the event streamed for free on YouTube tickets were sold in-person. The profits for these ticket sales went to the Fair Fight Foundation, which is a non-profit organization focused on fighter pay.
Where to Improve:
As I mentioned in the introduction, nothing is perfect, but I have to get pretty picky to find noteworthy complaints about the event. However, there were a few items of interest, though I think they can easily be remedied.
First, while not an indictment on the model, just an observation of the event, the judges appeared to be heavily swayed by the crowd in the finals of the Under 80Kg match — evidenced by a seemingly drastic change in what they were stylistically favoring prior to the third round.
Second, the female super-fight between Ffion Davies and Mackenzie Dern was a major blow out. At 22 years old, before starting an MMA career, in 2015 Dern was already an ADCC champion, and IBJJF gi and nogi world champion. Davies and Dern are about the same age, but the times change. This match was barely competitive. Dern was outclassed in every way.
Third, for Ffion to be one of the earliest defectors from ADCC, and most vocal proponents of CJI since then, to have a single blowout match was bit of let down even on the front of “advocating for equal pay for women’s sports.” Craig stated that he didn’t want to have a women’s bracket that was paid less than either of the men’s divisions. It seems strange to me that an investor willing to drop a cool $5M or so on a weekend couldn’t work something out.
Lastly, it’s also not known what other “charitable causes” the Fair Fight Foundation is donating to. This isn’t inherently a bad thing, but we all know the check is never in the mail. I’d like to see this openly disclosed and receipts posted as well.
Conclusion:
The inaugural Craig Jones Invitational was a huge hit. Its seems almost certain that their will be another event next year, though only time will tell if these continue to be a “flash in the pan” type of entertainment or if lasting prestige can be accumulated — e.g. EBI 2.0.
Sean Applegate (@trapplegate10p) attended both events and posted this on Instagram, which I think sums things up nicely:
