The inaugural Craig Jones Invitational, set to take place over the biggest grappling weekend, not only of the year, but in the history of the sport, will kick off Friday, Aug. 16 live from the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nev.
Grappling fans can catch the entirety of the inaugural Craig Jones Invitational streaming live on YouTube beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.
Super Fight — Dern vs. Davies
Mackenzie Dern, the eighth-ranked strawweight in the UFC, is no stranger to the grappling world. She is a four-time gold medalist at ADCC, IBJJF and No Gi Worlds, and has effectively weaponized her jiu-jitsu at various points in her MMA career. She will be taking on one of the best female grapplers in the world today in Wales’ Ffion Davies. Davies is no slouch herself as the reigning ADCC champion, and a seven-time gold medalist in her own right.
It’s a battle of past vs. present in Friday’s superfight, and the outcome could come down to just how sharp Dern’s pure grappling skills are in 2024. As a grappler, Dern has won at a 75% clip, but as an MMA fighter, she has largely been working to improve her standup and boxing, training under Head Coach Jason Parillo in Huntington Beach, Calif. Is her grappling still at an all-world level? It will have to be if she wants to beat Swansea-native Davies, a victor in her last 15 grappling matches.
CJI Tournaments
While the CJI may lack the prestige of the ADCC, the potential prize money was more than enough to lure over some of the biggest names in grappling, such as the Ruotolo brothers, Nicky Ryan, Nicky Rodriguez, Victor Hugo, and others. Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold is also set to compete, and the draws in both the Under 80kg and Over 80kg Tournament are stacked with talent.
All competitors will receive $10,001 for competing ($10,000, of course, is the prize money for winning ADCC). There will also be $50,000 best submission bonuses administered.
The Ruotolo Brothers, Kade and Tye, are favored in the under 80kg division at +165 and +175 apiece. Meanwhile, Hugo and Nicky Rod are favored in the other division, with odds set to +125 and +150 each.
For up-to-the-minute results and updates from the CJI, make sure to stay locked in to MMA Sucka!
2024 Craig Jones Invitational Day 1 Results
Under 80kg Tournament Quarterfinals
Levi Jones-Leary def. Tye Ruotolo via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Lucas Barbosa def. Jozef Chen via Knee Crush at 3:33 of Round 3
Kade Ruotolo def. Tommy Langaker via Unanimous Decision
Andrew Tackett def. Eoghan O’Flanagan via Unanimous Decision
Under 80kg Tournament Round of 16
Tye Ruotolo def. Jason Nolf via Kneebar at 4:16 of Round 3
Roberto Jimenez vs Levi Jones-Leary def. Roberto Jimenez via Inside Heel Hook at 1:26 of Round 1
Lucas Barbosa def. Kenta Iwamoto via Unanimous Decision
Jozef Chen def. Andy Varela via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 29-26, 30-27)
Kade Ruotolo def. Matheus Diniz via Straight Ankle Lock at 4:43 of Round 1
Tommy Langaker def. Renato Canuto via Unanimous Decision
Eoghan O’Flanagan def. Magid Hage via Heel Hook at 1:41 of Round 1
Andrew Tackett def. Nicky Ryan via Unanimous Decision (30-24, 30-25, 30-25)
Over 80kg Tournament Quarterfinals
Adam Bradley def. Pat Downey via Split Decision
Inacio Santos def. Lucas Kanard via Unanimous Decision
Felipe Andrew def. Joao Gabriel Rocha via Unanimous Decision
Nicky Rodriguez def. Owen Livesey via Rear Naked Choke at 3:40 of Round 1
Over 80kg Tournament Round of 16
Nicky Rodriguez def. Max Gimenis via Rear Naked Choke at 3:45 of Round 2
Owen Livesey def. Mahamed Aly via Unanimous Decision (29-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Adam Bradley def. Kyle Boehm via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Pat Downey def. Luke Rockhold (30-27, 30-25, 30-26)
Lucas Kanard def. Victor Hugo via Inside Heel Hook at 1:10 of Round 1
Inacio Santos def. Pedro Alex (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Fellipe Andrew def. Daniel Greg Kerkvliet via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Joao Gabriel Rocha def. William Tackett via Unanimous Decision
