In the aftermath of his impressive victory over Gabi Garcia at the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI), grappling superstar and event promoter Craig Jones has ignited excitement in the grappling community with the prospect of adding a women’s division to the next edition of the event. Jones, who has been instrumental in pushing the boundaries of professional grappling, expressed his eagerness to elevate the sport by offering female competitors the same opportunities and compensation as their male counterparts.

In a post-event interview, Jones revealed his commitment to securing the necessary funding to make a women’s division a reality at the next CJI. “I’m really excited about the prospect of having a women’s division at the next CJI,” Jones shared. “We were able to secure the funding to pay my teammate Nicky Rod a million dollars for his match, and I want to leverage that success to provide the same level of compensation for the top female grapplers.”

Jones acknowledged the challenges of securing funding for a high-profile women’s tournament, but he remains determined to showcase the immense talent and excitement that the women’s side of the sport has to offer. “It’s obviously hard to get the funding, but I didn’t want to do a women’s division and pay them less,” he explained. “I was like, ‘Let’s put on the best women’s match we can ever put on and show how exciting the women are,’ and then I can use that to leverage sponsors to give them a proper million-dollar division.”

The Craig Jones Invitational has already made significant waves in the grappling community, with Jones’ own victory over the legendary Gabi Garcia serving as a standout moment. The inaugural event featured two men’s divisions at under and over 80kg, but the inclusion of women in high-profile matches was also a highlight. Gabi Garcia’s intergender superfight against Jones himself drew widespread attention, while another thrilling superfight saw reigning ADCC world champion Ffion Davies face off against Mackenzie Dern in a match that had fans on the edge of their seats.

Following the event, Jones sat down with combat sports reporter Amy Kaplan, where he further discussed his vision for a women’s division at the next CJI. His passion for equality in the sport was evident as he emphasized the importance of giving female athletes the recognition and compensation they deserve. “It makes sense that Jones would want to pay female competitors the same as men,” Kaplan noted, referencing Jones’ and Ffion Davies’ previous criticisms of disparities in pay at major events like ADCC.

The superfight between Davies and Dern, filled with non-stop action, served as a potential proof of concept for the viability and excitement of a women’s division at future CJIs. Davies, who secured a victory in the second round, demonstrated the high level of competition that could be expected if Jones’ vision comes to fruition.

As the grappling world eagerly anticipates the next edition of the Craig Jones Invitational, the possibility of a women’s division promises to be a game-changer. If Jones can secure the necessary support, the event could set a new standard for gender equality in professional grappling, offering female athletes the platform and compensation they have long deserved. Fans and competitors alike will be watching closely to see how this vision unfolds.