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June 3, 2024 • 2hr 2min
#792 - Craig Jones - Fighting A Woman For $1M, Ukraine War & Gordon Ryan
Modern Wisdom
Craig Jones is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete, owner of B-Team, and founder of the new Craig Jones Invitational tournament. In this wide-ranging conversation, Craig discusses his recent travels to war zones and exotic locations, his upcoming BJJ tournament that is challenging the status quo, and offers candid insights into the culture of elite BJJ. The discussion covers everything from the brutality of the Ukraine-Russia war to the use of performance-enhancing drugs in BJJ to Craig's upcoming intergender match against Gabby Garcia.
#792 - Craig Jones - Fighting A Woman For $1M, Ukraine War & Gordon Ryan
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Key Takeaways
- Craig Jones is organizing a new Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament called the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI) with a $1 million prize for each weight division, challenging the established ADCC tournament
- The event aims to provide better financial compensation for athletes and bring more transparency to BJJ competition finances
- Craig has been traveling to dangerous places like Ukraine and Kazakhstan, documenting his experiences for an upcoming travel show
- He discusses the current state of the Ukraine-Russia war based on his first-hand observations at the front lines
- Craig offers insights into the culture and mindset of elite BJJ athletes and the use of performance-enhancing drugs in the sport
- He will be competing against female BJJ champion Gabby Garcia in an intergender match at the CJI event
- The tournament aims to disrupt the BJJ competition landscape and force more transparency around event finances and athlete compensation
Introduction
Craig Jones is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete, owner of B-Team, and founder of the new Craig Jones Invitational tournament. In this wide-ranging conversation, Craig discusses his recent travels to war zones and exotic locations, his upcoming BJJ tournament that is challenging the status quo, and offers candid insights into the culture of elite BJJ. The discussion covers everything from the brutality of the Ukraine-Russia war to the use of performance-enhancing drugs in BJJ to Craig's upcoming intergender match against Gabby Garcia.
Topics Discussed
The Craig Jones Invitational Tournament (3:14)
Craig explains his motivation for creating a new BJJ tournament with unprecedented prize money:
- $1 million prize for each weight division (under and over 80kg)
- Aims to provide better financial compensation for athletes
- Challenging the established ADCC tournament which offers much smaller purses
- Will be streamed free on YouTube to maximize viewership
- Structured as a non-profit with proceeds going to charity
"I've decided to throw a tournament where we're going to give away a million dollars to the two divisions under 80 kilos, over 80 kilos. And that is a hundred times more than sort of the other event that people consider the Olympics of our sport."
Finances and Transparency in BJJ Competitions (4:14)
Craig discusses the lack of financial transparency in major BJJ tournaments:
- Existing tournaments claim to be non-profitable but don't share financial details
- Athletes are not well-compensated despite events selling out large arenas
- CJI aims to prove events can be run profitably while paying athletes more
- Streaming free on YouTube will provide viewership data to empower athletes
"We're going to learn so much about this. Right? So if I compete on an event, they don't tell me how many people watch it...They don't tell me how many new subscribers they get. Like, this is all privileged information."
Craig's Recent Travels to Dangerous Places (1:09:38)
Craig has been traveling to exotic and dangerous locations over the past few months:
- Ukraine - Visited the front lines, fired weapons, nearly got arrested for trying to bring a bayonet across the border
- Kazakhstan - Filmed traditional horse fighting games, nearly trampled
- Chernobyl - Toured the abandoned town and reactor site
- Philippines, Thailand, Uzbekistan and more
"I love it. Adventure. I love seeing the world and if I can do some charity work along the way, that's awesome. And on top of that, create some content."
Observations from Ukraine (1:12:02)
Craig shares his first-hand observations from visiting Ukraine:
- Witnessed missile attacks and air raid sirens in Kyiv
- Ukrainians trying to maintain normal life despite the war
- Visited areas 7km from Russian offensive
- Trench warfare and World War II-style combat still occurring
- Shortage of basic equipment for Ukrainian soldiers
"Even in the villages and stuff, like, there's shelling going on. There's old guys out there still gardening and stuff. It's that, it's that energy that's, like, so, like, crazy."
Culture and Mindset of Elite BJJ Athletes (9:39)
Craig offers candid insights into the mentality of top BJJ competitors:
- Many top athletes display traits of autism/obsessiveness
- Lack of social skills often correlates with high-level performance
- Steroid use is widespread and provides confidence boost
- Gordon Ryan as a controversial but dominant figure in the sport
"The biggest determining factor for success would probably be some level of autism. That's very important for a singular focus in this sport. Usually we can correlate social skills with your abilities in the sport, the higher those social skills are, it diminishes really your ability to physically perform in jiu jitsu."
Performance-Enhancing Drugs in BJJ (52:20)
Craig speaks openly about PED use in BJJ:
- Steroid use is very common, especially at the elite level
- Craig admits to using testosterone and other PEDs
- Some athletes take extremely high, dangerous doses
- Craig advocates for transparency to reduce harm
"I put my stack out because I also like, just saying no doesn't really work with drugs. You know, it's like you just say no, kids take it anyway. I'd rather at least to the next generation, let them know what I'm taking so that they don't imagine it's up here and they don't take dangerous amounts."
Upcoming Intergender Match vs Gabby Garcia (24:29)
Craig will be competing against female BJJ champion Gabby Garcia at CJI:
- 3 five-minute rounds with 1 minute breaks
- Taking place in a specially designed rectangular "alley" arena
- Gabby is significantly larger and more accomplished than Craig
- Craig is taking a lighthearted approach to the matchup
"She's just the most accomplished grappler, female grappler ever. I mean, maybe really, if you combine sexes, maybe the most accomplished grappler ever. Me personally, just a dude that's never won anything."
Disrupting the BJJ Competition Landscape (15:55)
Craig discusses how CJI aims to shake up the BJJ competition world:
- Forcing athletes to choose between prestige (ADCC) and money (CJI)
- Challenging notions of tournament prestige and lineage
- Aiming to bring more financial transparency to BJJ events
- Using free streaming to provide viewership data to athletes
"We're talking about free market competition. It's good. According to his political belief, we're talking about money, loves money. There's 100 times more money in this. But he has to choose to stay with the old tournament or go to the tournament of someone he hates."
Challenges of Organizing CJI (1:56:00)
Craig outlines some of the challenges in putting on the event:
- Short timeline to organize everything
- Building custom arena setup for safety
- Managing production, lighting, broadcast elements
- Total budget of $3 million, with $2 million for prize money
"We're going to build something that is safe for the competitors, compete on that adds layers of complexity on a short time zone as it is to put on an event. But the goal is going to be high. Really try to spare no expense in making it the best athlete and fan experience possible."
Future Plans for CJI and Fair Fight Foundation (1:59:15)
Craig discusses his vision for the future:
- Using CJI to launch a travel documentary series
- Fair Fight Foundation to support BJJ in underprivileged areas
- Aspires to be a "jiu-jitsu missionary" spreading the sport globally
- Open to potential streaming deals for content
"I love the idea that I can visit places and train with people where Jiu-jitsu guys wouldn't go. And that to me, is really ultimately growing the sport. A true jiu-jitsu missionary, you know, traveling to these weird places...but spreading the sport nonetheless."
Conclusion
Craig Jones emerges as a disruptive force in the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, leveraging his platform as an athlete to challenge the status quo of competition and bring more transparency to the sport. His upcoming Craig Jones Invitational tournament represents a bold attempt to provide better financial compensation for athletes while also supporting charitable causes. Beyond BJJ, Craig's recent travels to war zones and exotic locales demonstrate his adventurous spirit and desire to document unique experiences. His candid insights into the culture of elite BJJ, including widespread PED use, offer a rare glimpse behind the curtain of the sport. As CJI approaches, it will be fascinating to see how Craig's vision unfolds and potentially reshapes the landscape of professional grappling.