This discussion emerged after Sterling expressed frustration with losing a grappling match where his opponent did not advance positions or launch attacks from their guard.

“I didn’t even know how they score that! Another man can’t drag his a** cheeks from the mat and that’s a win, doing absolutely nothing. Yeah, the sport is Jiu-jitsu guys. But I guarantee you if that was a str eet fight, my man wouldn’t do that sh**. So why are we turning the sport into some type of weird spectacle where you can win a match off of your back, doing absolutely nothing?”

Craig Jones recently commented on this issue in an interview. He acknowledged guard pulling can seem unappealing but defended it as a necessary tactic. Jones explained that without a wrestling background as an Australian competitor, immediately pulling guard is prudent against opponents with superior takedowns.

“I tell you what, I totally agree with him,” said Craig Jones. “Like I mean we like we look very gay in what we do, you know. But at the same time if I look at another man across, especially as an Australian, we didn’t grow up with any wrestling, if I look at another man and I go ‘that guy can wrestle,’ well, god damn it. I’m gonna sit down before he takes me down.”

While conscious of appearances, he maintained guard pulling allows focusing energy on submissions instead of fighting takedowns:

“It’s just what it is…If I’m a better wrestler, but other than that god damn it. I’m sitting down fast.”

In a Twitter exchange, Sterling noted respect for Jones’ style which actively commits to advancing attacks from the guard. However, Sterling also acknowledged not all grapplers approach it the same way.

“guys like Craig Jones don’t bother me because they take a defensive position and actively commit to advancing attacks.”

This debate among the grappling community reflects differing opinions on guard pulling’s strategic validity versus potential issues like passivity or entertainment value in a competitive sport context. While some view it as a legitimate technique, others feel it can be overused in a manner detrimental to the competition.