Craig Jones Feels Sorry for Gordon Ryan Before Delivering Savage “Needs a Hug” Dig

For years, Craig Jones and Gordon Ryan have trained together, trading submissions on the mats and verbal jabs everywhere else. In fact, their rivalry has become one of grappling's biggest attractions, with almost every interview or Instagram post seemingly adding another chapter. 

This week, the fandom saw another chapter. While promoting B-Team's new headquarters in Mexico, Jones was asked about Ryan's latest social media rant. Instead of simply firing back, Jones revealed that he's started tuning Ryan out altogether before making a remark that felt more sympathetic than insulting. 

Craig Jones Says Gordon Ryan “Needs a Hug” After Latest Social Media Exchange

The latest round of the long-running feud began before Jones made his appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show to discuss B-Team's new facility at Zamaya Luxury Resort in Tulum, Mexico.

During the interview, Helwani brought up a recent Instagram post from Ryan, in which the reigning ADCC champion took aim at Jones over his latest business venture. In the lengthy rant, Ryan labeled him "Crooked Creg" and claimed he had lost competitions, teammates, and his academy while becoming "a mediocre merchandise salesman." 

Jones couldn't resist poking fun at the post itself. He said, "Honestly, incredible paragraph structure there. That is a new high for Gordon's Instagram story." The 34-year-old then revealed he has finally hidden Ryan's account from his social media feed in an effort to stop himself from responding every time Ryan posts.

"I'm trying to turn a new leaf in my life because I feel like anything he posts is just so bad I can't help myself respond."

Craig Jones Sympathetic Toward Gordon Ryan

What followed was arguably more surprising than the joke. Rather than matching Ryan's hostility, Jones suggested he actually feels sorry for his longtime rival- 

"For Gordon, I almost feel bad for him at this point. I feel like a bit of projection there. I don't know if Gordon has any real friends. I don't know what's going on with that dude. He needs a hug or something."

Jones didn't stop there, questioning Ryan's relationships away from competition and suggesting his personality has contributed to fractured friendships over the years.

Ryan, meanwhile, wasn't interested in letting the exchange end there. He responded by reposting an old podcast clip in which Jones celebrated Ryan unfollowing members of B-Team on Instagram, using it to argue that the situation has since flipped. Ryan also added another jab of his own, keeping one of grappling's most personal rivalries alive.

Jones Explains Why He Turned Down a Grappling Match With Ben Askren

Away from the Gordon Ryan drama, Jones also shed light on another matchup that never came together, an RAF grappling contest against former UFC fighter and decorated wrestler Ben Askren.

While many fans would have welcomed the matchup, Jones admitted he didn't see much upside to accepting it.

"I turned that down because I was really thinking in my head," the three-time Polaris Pro Grappling champion explained. "I'm like, 'Man, if I go out there and somehow have worse cardio than Ben Askren, it's not going to reflect well on me. Or beating Ben Askren after everything he's been through isn't really a great victory.'"

For the unversed,  Askren has endured a difficult few years, including serious health complications and a lengthy recovery, something Jones acknowledged while weighing the potential matchup.

The B-Team co-founder did admit there was one amusing aspect to the idea, stating, "It would be funny on Wikipedia if it's like, '1-0 in wrestling against Ben Askren,' but still, yeah, we didn't put that together."

Craig Jones Focused on Business

For now, Jones appears more focused on expanding B-Team's presence and pursuing business opportunities than chasing every available superfight. Even so, as his latest comments about Ryan showed, escaping one of combat sports' most bitter rivalries may prove easier said than done.