7 big takeaways from the inaugural CJI
Now that the dust has settled, these are seven big takeaways from the inaugural CJI, which took place on August 16-17 in Las Vegas.
Just several short months ago, the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI) wasn’t even an idea. But what first looked like a joke from tournament organizer Craig Jones has now taken the BJJ and grappling world by storm, representing a landmark moment in the sport.
With the first-ever CJI now in the rearview mirror, two men are freshly minted millionaires and the BJJ community is buzzing with excitement like never before. These are seven key takeaways from a wild weekend of grappling in Las Vegas.
1- CJI won the weekend
While ADCC 2024 had its share of impressive performances and dramatic moments – including Adele Fornarino’s sensational double-gold run, Michael Pixley’s upset win over Nicholas Meregali, and Dante Leon’s highlight-reel submission of Mica Galvao – it’s clear that CJI won the battle of events.
Watching the two events side-by-side, the difference in atmosphere couldn’t be more stark. CJI packed the house at the Thomas & Mack Center with a raucous and rowdy crowd that regularly burst into spontaneous chants and erupted during the event’s most pivotal moments. ADCC, with its multiple matches happening concurrently and scattered crowd at the T-Mobil Arena, seemed tame and even subdued in comparison. That difference was perhaps the most obvious during Gordon Ryan’s pair of lengthy and uneventful superfights, neither of which delivered the heart-pounding action found at CJI.
In addition to fan-friendly talent and a ruleset that promotes action, CJI produced plenty of drama with the simple existence of a $1 million prize. Fans watching CJI knew that truly life-changing money was on the line, and that alone built an immense amount of tension into every single match.
2- The Alley, ruleset delivered action
One major question heading into CJI was how the unique, pitted mat space (“The Alley”) would promote or hinder action, and how the CJI ruleset and judging criteria would look in practice.
In short, The Alley and CJI ruleset put forth one of the most exhilarating grappling competitions ever seen.
The Alley mat space was enormous, so competitors had plenty of room to work. What’s more, the slanted edges didn’t detract from or change the grappling in any significant way. If anything, The Alley’s slanted perimeter only encouraged action and forced athletes to avoid the edges whenever possible.
The ruleset delivered in a similarly big way. Before the event, some fans might have thought that the five-minute rounds would prevent submission finishes by limiting the grapplers’ time to work and advance position. In reality, though, plenty of submissions happened – including Nick Rodriguez’s four-for-four million-dollar run. The rounds, coupled with open scoring and judging criteria that emphasizes effective action rather than defined points, led to a viewer-friendly and captivating product.
3- Kade Ruotolo might be the pound-for-pound best
The -80kg division was hailed as the most talent-stacked bracket in the history of grappling, and 21-year-old phenom Kade Ruotolo conquered it in epic fashion. With wins over former ADCC champion Matheus Diniz, IBJJF no-gi world champion Tommy Langaker, ADCC Trials winner Andrew Tackett, and decorated Australian Levi Jones-Leary, Ruotolo can comfortably stake his claim as the best pound-for-pound male no-gi grappler on the planet.
The Californian is undefeated in no-gi competition since 2021 – a run that includes winning a Who’s Number One (WNO) title, becoming the youngest-ever ADCC world champion, and winning and defending the inaugural ONE lightweight submission grappling world title. He is slated to defend that title and further establish himself as a pound-for-pound powerhouse this September at ONE 168: Denver when he takes on Mikey Musumeci.
Notably, other pound-for-pound contenders may have fallen off. Two-division WNO champion Diego “Pato” Oliveira suffered a submission loss to returning ADCC champion Diogo Reis. Mica Galvao, while he won gold in the -77kg division, was submitted in the absolute division by Dante Leon. Also, while Gordon Ryan is often touted as the current pound-for-pound best, he hasn’t maintained the strength of schedule needed to keep that title nor did he look particularly impressive against opponents he was heavily favored against.
4- Ffion Davies did her part to grow BJJ
Top pound-for-pound female competitor Ffion Davies dominated former ADCC champion Mackenzie Dern en route to a lopsided submission victory. While the match was promoted as the biggest in the history of women’s grappling, most knowledgeable fans expected Davies to handle Dern – who hadn’t competed in professional grappling since 2017 and had a UFC fight less than three weeks ago – with relative ease.
Davies performed up to expectations, putting on an electrifying performance that undoubtedly grew the sport of BJJ. Given Dern’s star power in the UFC, many fans surely tuned in to see the strawweight contender grapple, only to watch Davies dismantle her in under six minutes. In turn, those fans will now want to tune into Davies’ next match, creating real, organic growth.
If Davies accepts the challenge put forth by recent ADCC double-gold medalist Adele Fornarino, that match would legitimately mark one of the most significant contests in BJJ history, as it pits the top two pound-for-pound against each other.
5- Breakout performances from Tackett, Kanard, and Andrew
There was no shortage of strong performances at CJI, but three stood out among the rest.
Young black belt Andrew Tackett was already widely recognized as one of the sport’s best and most entertaining athletes, but his star power reached new heights at CJI. Tackett employed his all-action, buzzsaw approach to grappling to tally electrifying wins over Nicky Ryan and Eoghan O’Flanagan, before colliding with Kade Ruotolo in the semifinals in what is already a lock for Match of the Year – and might be one of the greatest matches in BJJ history. Those performances netted Tackett a well-deserved $20,000 bonus and the honor of the event’s most exciting grappler.
Australian ADCC Trials winner Lucas Kanard came in as a late replacement for Mason Fowler in the +80kg division, and in his first-round match against tournament favorite Victor Hugo, he delivered one of the most shocking upsets in recent memory. Kanard’s heel hook finish of the big man earned him a $50,000 bonus and announced him as a real player on the elite scene.
Finally, accomplished IBJJF gi competitor Fellipe Andrew shined in three impressive victories that put him in the +80kg final against Nick Rodriguez. The Brazilian displayed a dangerous and dynamic guard game rarely seen among heavier competitors, with his lighting-fast triangle attacks and creative leg entanglements being a highlight of the event. Clearly, Andrew has the skills to compete with the best no-gi grapplers on the planet.
6- Nick Rodriguez versus Gordon Ryan is the match to make
Just minutes after officially winning the $1 million prize, Nick Rodriguez was happy to put his new cash on the line in a proposed bet match against former teammate Gordon Ryan. Even though that challenge will likely not be accepted on Ryan’s end, fans are clamoring for a match between the two top heavyweights.
Ryan already owns a pair of wins over Rodriguez, but with Rodriguez fresh off the biggest and best performance of his career, and Ryan looking somewhat lackluster in his ADCC superfights, there’s no reason to believe that a third match between the two wouldn’t be competitive.
Additionally, the beef between Rodriguez’s B-Team and Ryan’s New Wave is now at an all-time high, and it’s time to cash in on that rivalry.
7- Scoring guard play versus guard passing is still difficult
In an otherwise controversy-free two days of action at CJI, one issue reared its head: how to judge guard play against guard passing.
Berimbolo specialist Levi Jones-Leary drew both ire and admiration from fans for his seemingly unpassable guard and insistence on forcing the top player to approach his guard. On one hand, this style often pushed the top player into defensive movements, which clearly amounted to “effective” action.
On the other hand, as Jones-Leary’s -80kg final opponent Kade Ruotolo pointed out, playing exclusively guard is, by its nature, a defensive posture that relies on the other grappler to come forward.
This debate came to a head at CJI, and future editions of the event will need to clarify how guard play should be judged against guard passing.
