Craig Jones introduced that he’ll face Gabi Garcia in an inter-gender submission grappling match on the inaugural Craig Jones Invitational (CJI).
What began as a joke is now actuality.
On a latest episode of the Joe Rogan Expertise, common Australian grappler Craig Jones introduced that the contracts have been signed for him to face multiple-time ADCC and IBJJF world champion Gabi Garcia in an inter-gender match. That one-of-a-kind conflict will happen on the inaugural Craig Jones Invitational, which is scheduled to go down on August 16-17 in Las Vegas.
Whereas the ADCC has but to make an announcement, this seemingly implies that Garcia has withdrawn from the ADCC World Championships, the place she was slated to compete within the +99kg division.
“I signed this perhaps and hour and a half in the past. It could be one of many greatest occasions in sporting historical past… Essentially the most embellished feminine athlete of all time, GG has put pen to paper to face me at my very own occasion.
“100% gonna occur. We signed this contract earlier.”
Jones had been teasing a match in opposition to Garcia for the previous couple of years.
A two-time ADCC silver medalist and head of the Austin, Texas-based B-Group, Jones is an elite no-gi competitor and one of many sport’s most favored personalities. His inaugural CJI takes place on the identical weekend because the ADCC World Championships – a plan designed to pressure high grapplers to unify in opposition to the ADCC’s comparatively low prize cash.
Garcia is among the most embellished opponents in BJJ historical past, boasting 4 ADCC gold medals and 6 IBJJF Worlds golds. Standing effectively over 6 ft tall and weighing greater than 250 kilos, she has employed her immense dimension and physicality over the course of her 16-year black belt profession.
Along with the superfight between Jones and Garcia, the CJI will host a minimum of one different superfight which options reigning ADCC champion Ffion Davies. No opponent has been introduced for Davies.
Past the superfights, the primary points of interest on the CJI will probably be two 16-man brackets, every providing a $1 million prize for the winner.
The inaugural CJI will air reside and free on YouTube.
