SATURDAY & SUNDAY, AUGUST 30-31st FROM THOMAS & MACK CENTER
BROADCAST: B-Team Jiu Jitsu YouTube Channel
STARTS: 9PM EASTERN (BOTH DAYS)
So far in 2025 I’ve not really been excited by professional jiu jitsu. To be honest, I’ve genuinely been unaware of any events going on aside form the ones my head coach talks about in our gym’s group chat. Other than that, I’ve not watched any professional jiu jitsu matches, despite saying last year I wanted more professional matches. I’ve seen clips here and there sure, that’s kind of easy with how much doomscrolling I do. However, there has been no single event that’s made me want to sit my shockingly aged butt down and watch two balding athletes try and make each other tap out.
WNO?
I swear to god, I do not know anyone who can tell me when the next one is. Not to mention, they seemingly have rules but then they also put on matches that don’t follow those rules because it’s a Gordon Ryan match. So how is that a consistent “league” to watch if their events are more akin to GameChanger? Looking up their recent events on FloGrappling, because WNO appear to not have a dedicated webpage, and the most recent event didn’t bother listing where it was taking place. Because I guess that makes sense.
AIGA?
I love the team duals concept, it’s great and is a pretty easy to understand format. It also works as an alternative to Quintet’s rules if you don’t find that interesting. Shame it only ever seems to take place in Kazakhstan, and no where else, while also not having a functioning URL to check any schedule info. So how am I supposed to know when its on?
UFC BJJ?
Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
(*breathes*)
Ha.
Good one.
Polaris?
OK…that’s fair, you got me.
I did miss some Polaris events earlier this year that, having watched them, were worth covering at the time. Mea culpa.
Anyway, my point is while I am keen to watch professional jiu jitsu there is a somewhat high barrier to entry. Be it the $30/month subscription FloGrappling wants, or the fact most organizers do not have a consistently reliable way to get info about their event to the audience. These two factors, personally, are the biggest issues I have. And thank god someone figured out the easy to see solution to this problem: stream for free on YouTube, and market the hell out of the event every single step of the way.
Bad Boy Boogie
A year ago, dissatisfied with how he and fellow athletes were being treated by the likes of FloGrappling/WNO, ADCC, and the UFC (just to name a few), Craig Jones, along with some very competent pals, sought to put on a jiu jitsu event that was not only fun to be at, it’d be exciting to watch on TV, and would treat fighters well and pay them a good wage.
This was, keep in mind, made literally to spite the ADCC’s head organizer Mo Jassim who disagreed with this approach and allegedly was using his position to favor some ADCC competitors over others, while also offering under the table payments obscured from everyone so nobody could tell they were getting a bum deal.
CJI 1 showed that yes, in fact, your event’s competitors should be paid well, will put on a great show if you let them, and can stream a jiu jitsu event that doesn’t also try to rip off paying customers (I’m looking at you FloSports).
By doing so, Craig cemented himself as a hero in the grappling community and in the closing moments of the broadcast he simply, and very nonchalantly, asked if the audience would be back in a year for another go. They enthusiastically cheered “Yes.”
A year later and we have less than a week before CJI 2 takes place, but this is not your 2024 edition. No, no, no. This time, we’re doing teams.
CJI x Quintet
I love Quintet. It is a rule set and format that simply makes me say “yes, I want to watch this.” It is, in my view, one of the most perfect ways to show off how good grappling can negate bigger opponents, and how exciting grappling in general can be to watch.
For those unfamiliar, Quintet is a format cooked up by MMA and Grappling icon Kazushi Sakuraba (or at least he’s the one credited with the invention) where two teams of 5 grapplers face off in a last man standing elimination match. If Fighter 1 from Team A beats Team B’s Fighter 1, then Team A’s Fighter 1 stays on the mat and Team B sends out their next member to have an immediate match against Fighter 1. This continues until one team simply has no members left. It’s a Team vs Team “king of the hill” format.
There are more nuances to how this function, but those are the main points to how it works.
CJI 2 is adapting the format a tiny bit. Mostly the key difference is in Quintet you have a total weight limit for the whole Team, meaning people can weigh whatever they want so long as they’re under the limit. Whereas in CJI 2 they’re implementing strict weight limits within the team, mostly following the ADCC weight classes of -66kg, -77kg, -88kg, -99kg, and +99kg. Which, yeah sure that is not too unlike Quintet so it makes sense to at least have a “this is our -66kg guy” for each team.
Team Work Makes the Dream Work
One of the big selling points of CJI 1 was the $1million dollar prize, which eventually went to Kade Ruotolo and Nick Rodriguez respectively for winning their divisions.
That juicy prize is back on the line, and eight very competitive groups of grapplers are trying to be the first to say they’re a million dollar team.
As a note, the teams appear to be combining their home gym name and a sort of gimmicky sports team name which…yeah sure why not.
New Wave Warriors
Since the implosion of the Danaher Death Squad the idea that Danaher and the crew at B-Team (who were part of that implosion) would ever interact in a non-confrotational manner was wishful thinking. Both sides have, with the exception of Danaher himself, taken the past few years sniping at each other on social media. Or until Gordon Ryan realized he was losing a battle of wits against Craig Jones. Rarely have we had the opportunity for a true show down between the two camps. Their inclusion in CJI 2 was, probably, the biggest get Craig and Co. could secure. They have top level competitors with a well-praised head coach who just “gets” jiu jitsu competitions.
Coach: John Danaher
Genuinely one of the most highly regarded coaches in the sport who has overseen incredible ADCC runs by his athletes and is well known for his systematic breakdown of grappling.
-66kg: Dorian Olivarez
A teenage phenom with explosive wrestling and submission skills, Olivarez has made waves in youth and adult divisions with every increasing impressive wins.
-77kg: Mica Galvao
Multi-time champion in the IBJJF circuit as well as the 2022 ADCC World Championship winner in his division, Mica is known for his dynamic guard passing and submission-oriented style on top of being a highly successful young competitor.
-88kg: Giancarlo Bodoni
As the 2022 ADCC World Championship winner in his division, Bodoni is known as a powerhouse of a grappler with great positional control and finishing ability.
-99kg: Luke Griffith
ADCC trials winner and a long time Danaher Death Squad member, Griffith is known for his leg locks and tactical approach.
+99kg: Vagner Rocha
A short notice replacement for Dan Manasoiu, who was injured mid-August, Vagner Rocha is easily the most experienced competitor at CJI. With podium finishes at ADCC Worlds from 2017 all the way through to 2024, as well as Eddie Bravo Invitational podium finishes and IBJJF championships at Worlds (though that was later overturned due to testing positive for PEDs), Vagner is a very game competitor. At 42 though, this may be his last run. Especially given he had a heart attack in April 2025. Though then again, he did compete at a WNO event in July, so maybe he’ll be at the 2053 ADCC World Championships.
The B-Team Mercenaries
It’s safe to say that B-Team were always guaranteed a spot in CJI regardless of if it was an individual competition or a team competition. Craig helped found the team after the Danaher Death Squad imploded, and they’ve consistently been the driving force behind a breadth of changes in the competitive scene, namely in professionalism, fighter’s rights, and being unabashedly self aware (or as much as you can be in a combat sport).
Coach: Nicky Ryan & Damien Anderson
Both Nicky & Damien are fantastic competitors with both making appearances at ADCC trials and World Championships. They are also regarded as being very tactical and are the newly christened head coaches at B-Team.
-66kg: Ethan Crelinsten
An ADCC veteran with a slick guard and dangerous back attacks, Ethan is a staple of the sub-only scene.
-77kg: Jozef Chen
A breakout star from B-Team, Chen has several notable wins over top competitors such as Tommy Langaker, Chris Wojcik, and highly competitive matches vs PJ Barch and Kade Ruotolo.
-88kg: Chris Wojcik
A consistent competitor in various events including this year’s AIGA Global League, as well as a The Grappler’s Diary, Wojcik brings a well-rounded and gritty game.
-99kg: Nick Rodriguez
The breakout star at CJI 1, the 2022 and 2019 ADCC silver medalist in the +99kg division, NickyRod is a high level grappler with explosive wrestling and has an easy claim as a fan favorite.
+99kg: Victor Hugo
A very consistent competitor, Victor Hugo has IBJJF World Championships to his name as well as significant wins over the likes of Nick Rodriguez and Kaynan Duarte thanks to his combination of size, agility, and a dangerous guard.
10th Planet
The 10th Planet crew are pretty much always that group who always seem to show up, give it their all, and even if they don’t win they still leave with their heads held high. It’s easy to get irritated at Eddie Bravo’s non-jiu jitsu antics, specifically his constant spouting of insane conspiracy theories, but the likes of Geo Martinez, PJ Barch and Kyle Boehm’s calm and non-polarizing performances (Geo’s match vs Mikey Musumesci aside) help to establish 10th Planet as a solid team who are very much worth getting behind. Their inclusion in CJI 2 is not surprising, nor would it be shocking if they pull off the win.
Coach: Eddie Bravo
Founder of 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu, known for innovating no-gi techniques and popularizing the rubber guard. Also is really into insane conspiracy theories and should not be listened to outside of discussing rubber guard techniques.
-66kg: Geo Martinez
A pioneer of the 10th Planet system, Geo is a multiple-time EBI champion known for his unorthodox guard work and rubber guard mastery.
-77kg: Alan Sanchez
A rising star in the 10th Planet scene, Sanchez is known for his aggressive submissions and fluid transitions.
-88kg: PJ Barch
A veteran competitor with multiple wins in ADCC trials and EBI. PJ is known for his wrestling-heavy style and strong top pressure.
-99kg: Ryan Aitken
A relatively newer face with strong performances in sub-only events, Aitken brings solid fundamentals and a well-rounded game.
+99kg: Kyle Boehm
A standout in the competitive scene, Boehm is an ADCC West Coast Trials winner as well as the EBI absolute champion on top of having a fair bit of experience in the team format. Very dangerous leg lock game and strategic pacing.
Atos Knights
It’s safe to say that Atos are a pretty dangerous team. They have Lucas Barboas, Kaynan Duarte, and Felipe Pena all of whome are incredibly dangerous. That’s not including Diego Oliveira or Ronaldo Junior, let alone the fact their coach, Andre Galvao, is one of the greatest competitors in ADCC history. Atos have a very strong case to be THE team at CJI 2.
Coach: Andre Galvao
Owner and founder of Atos Jiu Jitsu, Andre Galvao is a multi-time ADCC divisional, absolute, and superfight champion. And this is all on top of being one of the big names behind producing some of the sports newest crop of top talent.
-66kg: Diego ‘Pato’ Oliveira
Simply put, Pato is a stud when it comes to the lighter weight scene. He’s been undefeated at IBJJF World Championships for 3 years straight, has two IBJJF No-Gi World Championships to his name. The one flaw with Pato is that he simply does not have much showmatch experience compared to the majority of the competitors in CJI 2.
-77kg: Ronaldo Junior
Junior is an athletic and very explosive grappler who won his division at the 2023 IBJJF No-Gi World Championships both as a black belt and in the lower belt divisions. On top of this, he represented Atos several times at WNO and UFC FPI events securring wins of the likes of Jay Rodridguez and Felipe Costa earlier this year. Easily a solid competitor to fill out the Atos -77kg slot.
-88kg: Lucas ‘Hulk’ Barbosa
A medalist in pretty much every major competition, Barbosa was at last year’s CJI in the -80kg division but lost in the semi-finals. With a nickname like “Hulk” it’s pretty much easy to explain how strong and powerful he is as a grappler.
-99kg: Kaynan Duarte
I think it’s fair to say that Kaynan is Andre’s greatest protege. A multi-time IBJFF and ADCC World Champion, Duarte is a huge threat in any competition he is in. On top of his accomplishments he is also expected to feature in the 2024 ADCC World Championship, but first is setting his sights on avenging his loss earlier this year to Nick Rodriguez should the opportunity come up.
+99kg: Felipe Pena
An absolute stud of a competitor, Pena has the honor of carrying the nickname of “sloth.” That, however, does not mean he is a slouch when it comes to competition. The 2024 ADCC World Champion for +99kg, Pena’s most prominent feature is his control and strategy when it comes to a match.
Daisy Fresh
Daisy Fresh are, if we are going to be honest, the true misfits of this competition. I do not mean that in a negative way, but in a descriptive way. Of all the teams at CJI 2, it is Daisy Fresh who have the most odd training environment. Not in the sense that its in a weird city nobody would think of training in, nor having the wildest high tech equipment. No, Daisy Fresh became famous simply because, aside from having strong competitors, their gym was first set up in a run down laundromat building. In fact that’s where Daisy Fresh came from, it was the name of the laundromat and they just kept the sign and name as a joke. I think that helps explain my point. However, it’s also very important to remember that Daisy Fresh (aka Pedigo Submission Fighting) are incredibly talented and have won numerous championships, ADCC Trials, and performed at WNO regularly. They may be “misfits” but they are incredibly talented and should never be discounted.
Coach: Heath Pedigo
Heath Pedigo became a fixture in the jiu jitsu community thanks to not only his ability to coach relatively young unknown competitors to world titles, but for the FloGrappling series covering his team, his approach to jiu jitsu, and their incredibly unique gym setting. He has shown a knack for building and maintaining a tight-knit team who have performed at the highest levels in the sport. Maybe not always winning, but making it a tough match no matter who their opponent is.
-66kg: Max Hanson
While Hanson may not have the highest of accolades they are still a talented competitor. Winning the 2024 IBJJF No-Gi Pan Championship, the Canadian has also gone on to compete against the likes of Gianni Grippo and Oliver Taza taking away the W both times.
-77kg: Dante Leon
Dante Leon is a fantastic competitor with several IBJJF No-Gi championships, an AIGA Champions League title, and multi-time ADCC World Championship podium placements to his name. He has an incredible pace and is well known for his explosiveness and speed. He also happens to be the main behind Max Hanson’s training.
-88kg: Jacob Couch
First, I think Jacob Couch has one of the most appropriate nicknames in the entirety of combat sports. He is simply called The Hillbilly Hammer, and that’s an homage to his home and former occupation more than his jiu jitsu style. As a multi-time IBJJF No-Gi Champion in the lower belts, Couch has also made a name for himself in ADCC Trials and WNO events. He is, in my opinion, a fantastic competitor who is never in a boring match.
-99kg: Michael Pixley
Grappling typically sees many crossovers. You’ll see people training in judo compete at jiu jitsu events and maybe vice versa. Sometimes a wrestler will show up to a no-gi event and run circles around everyone. Michael Pixley is the latter. As a prolific high school wrestler, Pixley went on to become an NAIA champion in the sport before transitioning to jiu jitsu. At the 2024 ADCC World Championship he shocked everyone by beating Nicholas Meregali, whom everyone assumed would simply win the division. He did that as a purple belt mind you. Simply put, you cannot sleep on Pixley.
+99kg: Brandon Reed
Originally I was going to say that Pixley was one of the best wrestlers in the teams event, and then I remembered we also have Brandon Reed. As a 3x NAIA Champion wrestler, Reed is incredibly tough. His grappling prowess and wrestle heavy style has taken him to the ADCC World Championships, although he never quite won the big title.
The Devils
It simply would not be fitting for Craig Jones to put together a team event and not find a way to get some of his buddies from down under onto the card. The Devils are part of what Craig lovingly called The Misfit Teams, as in these teams were not part of the main groups (B-Team, Atos, New Wave, or Daisy Fresh). Instead these are teams put together solely for this event and The Devils are representing Australasia, and good lord are they a tough team.
Coach: Lachlan Giles
ADCC medalist and leg lock expert, Lachlan has some of the most analytical teaching approaches to jiu jitsu (seriously check out Submeta, it’s great) and is also known for his strategic coaching style.
-66kg: Fabricio Andrey
Unfortunately I’m not overly familiar with Fabricio Andrey, however there are some important things you should know regardless. First, he’s a well establish competitor with an IBJJF World Championship to his name, alongside numerous regional IBJJF championships to boot. As for his no-gi work, he was seen winning the AIGA Global League earlier this year with a win over Dante Leon in the finals. So while he may be unfamiliar to me, it does not mean he is something worth discrediting.
-77kg: Kenta Iwamoto
I say this with genuine love and kindness, but Kenta is a crazy person. As a guy who naturally competes in the lighter divisions, he opted to try his hand in the CJI Trials competition to determine who makes it onto Team Australasia. However that was in the 99kg division, and he was in the open invite bracket meaning he was tasked with not only giving up 20kg of size but also was OK with doing a full tournament followed by a 6 person round robin. That should tell you enough about his competitiveness. After an injury to Levi Leary-Jones opened up a slot on the team, he was an easy pick as a replacement. He is a multi-time ADCC Trials winner, reached the podium at the 2023 IBJJF No-Gi World Championship and regularly was featured in AIGA Global League. The guy just really likes to compete and rarely has a boring match win or loss.
-88kg: Lucas Kanard
Returning after attempting to win the -80kg division at CJI 1, Kanard can best be described as a rising talent from Australia. While he may not have the notability or name value compared to the likes of other competitors he is still a very solid grappler. Kanard won the 2024 ADCC Oceania Trials before withdrawing from the World Championship in a bid to take home the CJI 1 title. Maybe a second run will be the one that does it.
-99kg: Declan Moody
While Declan mostly has been a relatively quiet competitor. A successful 2023 ADCC Oceania Trials winner, Declan has also been featured in several WNO events. As a regularly seen member of the B-Team, Declan has become known for a strong wrestling base and has developed a solid no-gi game in recent years.
+99kg: Belal Etiabari
Earlier I mentioned the CJI Trials for Team Australasia. Belal is the lad who, along with Declan Moody, won a spot on the team. While he is a relatively new name, he has been fairly impressive in the Australia/New Zealand scene. In addition, its worth noting he gave up a career as a engineer to pursue professional jiu jitsu full-time.
The Raiders
With the announcement of CJI 2 being team focused, there were of course going to be some teams/gyms that would simply get an easy invite. B-Team made sense because that’s where Craig Jones spends most of his time. 10th Planet also followed a similar logic given their history as a mainstay team/organization in the pro scene. However, CJI 2 truly wanted to make their event a global one, and so they reserved space for teams of “misfits” to represent varying areas of the world. So, with Europe getting its own team of misfits, we have The Raiders. A crew of European grapplers who are simply focused on traveling to Las Vegas to plunder and pillage. And given how competitive these guys are, they may just do that.
Coach: Faris Ben-Lamkadem
Faris has been a mainstay of the European grappling scene and has even gone on to win some IBJJF World Championships as a result of his consistent hard work. As a coach he has helped develop a crop of younger talent in the European scene.
-66kg: Owen Jones
Probably the most outspoken member on the Raiders, Owen Jones is a UK prodigy who, as a purple belt, took fourth place at the 2024 ADCC World Championship. A top talent with a lot of potential, he has quickly become the focal point of the Raiders’ build up to CJI 2.
-77kg: Pawel Jaworski
Polish competitor Pawel Jaworski has been very active in the pro scene. Known for his strong and consistent performances, he has several notable wins to his name such as the 2024 Abu Dhabi World Grappling Championship in the 85kg division, as well as several wins in Polaris as part of the European Squad, who are expected to feature in the Polaris Squads finals this November.
-88kg: Paul Ardila
An American joining team Europe can be seen as a mark of betrayal, however in Paul Ardila’s case he had already committed to competing at the Team Europe Trials for CJI before Team Americas had been announced. So, for the multi-time ADCC Trials winner it was more or less a cake walk to get onto the Raiders as their 88kg representative. Ardila has been active in the pro scene for just around 9 years or so, with this being arguably the biggest stage he’s reached.
-99kg: Charles Negromonte
Charles Negromonte is a pretty tough guy in general. Having a 13 year long career in the upper echelon of jiu jitsu competitions will do that to you. You may remember seeing him at the 2024 ADCC World Championship where he defeated Izaak Michell in the opening round, but then fell to Chris Wojcik in the quarterfinals.
+99kg: Marcin Maciulewicz
As the big man for the Raiders, Marcin has several notable accolades. He is the 2023 Polaris Absolute Grand Prix winner, an ADCC European Trials winner, and a semi-finalist in the 2024 IBJJF No-Gi World Championships for his division. He is very strong as a competitor in Europe with a very crafty game, making him no easy task for whomever he’s paired up against.
The Gorillas
The Americas (both South and North) are also provided their own team of “misfits”, and have taken on the mantle of The Gorillas. Which actually is not a terrible name for this aggression heavy crew from the western hemisphere.
Coach: Greg Souders
Greg Souders is widely known as an advocate of ecological training methods at his home gym. Taking on the role as head coach, he is tasked with taking this team and showing that despite being called misfits, they are most certainly a threat.
-66kg: Gavin Corbe
One half of the Corbe brothers, Gavin has mostly played second fiddle to his brother Deandre. So much so that Deandre beat Gavin in the semifinals of the 2024 ADCC West Coast Trials. Given he and his brother were quickly locked in as members of The Gorillas, it’s easy to say he is a very game and tough competitor. Additionally, his Smoothcomp profile features him and his cat friend which is easily the best profile picture I’ve seen.
-77kg: Deandre Corbe
The older half of the Corbe crew at CJI 2, Deandre has accomplished a fair bit in the sport. As mentioned above, he is the 2024 ADCC West Coast Trials winner in the 66kg division. He has placed at the IBJJF No-Gi World Championship in 2022 and 2023, though never taking home the gold. In addition, he’s been seen on the Al Leone Team at AIGA Global Champions League battling it out against the likes of Dante Leon, while also holding wins over Gianni Grippo in ADCC Opens.
-88kg: Elijah Dorsey
Upper Marlboro’s own Elijah Dorsey has been making a name for himself since he was a purple belt competing in the regional circuits. This eventually saw him with the IBJJF Gi and No-Gi Pan Championships as a purple and brown belt, while coming in 2nd in the 2022 IBJJF World Championships. In 2023 he would become the winner of the ADCC East Coast Trials, solidifying that he is in fact a very talented and gifted grappler despite the relatively low number of world titles to his name. The biggest negative I can say about him is that he is still willingly affiliated with Lloyd Irvin after the 2013 sexual assault allegations made against Irvin and other members on the team. Sorry for ending on that downer of a note. Did a decent job up to this point though.
-99kg: Taylor Pearman
The WWE may have Mantaur, but CJI has Manpear. The British grappler is on Team Gorillas because, well, I guess he and Paul Ardila are doing a cultural exchange program or something. Regardless, Pearman is a very talented competitor who has several ADCC Open wins on top of representing the UK at the 2024 ADCC European Trials where he wound up qualifying for the World Championship with six straight heelhook finishes in a row. That, well that’s impressive to do. However, aside from these accolades Pearman has unfortunately never gotten that big juicy win he arguably deserves.
+99kg: Pat Downey
I think it’s safe to say that, aside from Gable Steveson, Pat Downey has a pretty prolific wrestling career. In fact, he’s basically the only competitor in any of the teams to have his own Wikipedia page. With medals at the 2019 Pan America Games, US National Championships, Junior World CHampionships, NJCAA Championships, and Big 12 Championships in wrestling, he is very gifted just at a baseline level. He event did a showmatch versus Gordon Ryan to start off his jiu jitsu career, where he would eventually become a finalist in the 2024 IBJJF No-Gi World Championship as a blue belt. This would be where that run ends as he wound up being disqualified for fighting with his opponent, and was also then suspended by the IBJJF for five years not that those suspensions really hold any weight. Comically, Downey’s response to this was to accuse the IBJJF of being racist. The controversy with Downey also pre-dates his transition to jiu jitsu as he was fairly outspoke on his reductive views of women wrestling which eventually led to him being dropped by several sponsors and also from a FloWrestling event. I’m not a fan of Downey.
The Women’s Tournament
In addition to this team tournament, here will be a four women tournament for $100,000 to help fill in the event cards for both days.
While this isn’t quite the $1mil USD on the line for the team tournament, nor the two men’s tournaments last year, but given its a smaller bracket I can see the argument that it shouldn’t be an equal payout. I’m just saying it would be much cooler if it was for $1million and had a full division like we saw at CJI 1. It’s possible, there are plenty of female athletes capable of making the show, so it’s a small disappointment they didn’t fully commit to it like last year.
As of writing, there is no confirmed weight class for the tournament nor the bracket. However we do know who the four women who are slated to face off this weekend are:
Helena Crevar
Making a name for herself as a teenage phenom, Crevar has been highly active in the competitive scene and scored notable victories over adults with significantly longer competitive records. She headed up Team North America’s team for Polaris Squads at Polaris 32 earlier this year and is well known for her composure and technical depth.
Adele Fornarino
An Australian standout who won the 2024 ADCC World Championship in her division, as well as several IBJJF champioships, she also has several wins over top competitors such as Brianna Ste-Marie, Beatriz Mesquita, and Jasmine Rocha.
Ana Vieira
One of the most accomplished female grapplers ever, Vieira is a multi-time IBJJF World Champion, a 2024 ADCC World Championship winner in her division. Her inclusion helps solidify this tournament as a premier event for women’s jiu jitsu.
Sarah Galvão
A rising star from the Galvão family, Sarah has been making waves in the competitive scene with her technical prowess. While she may not be as experienced in high stakes competition as the rest in the tournament one of her strengths is the fact she is Andre Galvão’s daughter meaning her competitiveness is already pretty high.
Craig vs Gable
Note: This section was written before it was announced that Gable Steveson has pulled out of the match due to turf toe. While discussion of the athlete himself is a fixture of this section, it is also worth keeping as is due to the final remarks regarding Craig’s career and what comes next for himself, CJI, and professional jiu jitsu in general.
At the previous CJI, there were two highly entertaining (albeit each for different reasons) superfights. One of which was the intergender match between Gabi Garcia and Craig Jones.
Not to sit on the sidelines, Craig has gone on to book himself another main event match up but this time against an Olympic champion in wrestling. Not just any Olympic champion, but arguably one of the best wrestlers in his weight division ever. The man is, easily, a really really good wrestler which makes his match up with Jones both confusing but also intriguing. Sure, he could win and probably without breaking too much of a sweat. But it’s also a Craig Jones match so who really can tell which horseshoe he has hidden in this thongs.
For this to cap off the entire weekend of matches, I think it’s safe to say it doesn’t matter who wins or loses. Supposedly Craig is retiring after this match and as a send off no matter what, CJI 2 will be a fitting farewell for him.
Personally, I hope that when Craig enters retirement he can focus on the various charities he’s worked with and helped highlight in his YouTube videos, while also having the time and ability to dedicate towards organizing more CJI events in the coming years. He is, simply put, the best at it without question. I genuinely wish we can come back next year and chat about CJI 3, it’s breathed new life into the sport and shown that just because the UFC, or ADCC, or WNO all do things pretty much the same way doesn’t mean you have to either.