BJJ champion Craig Jones has recently called out Islam Makhachev for using questionable tactics in a grappling instructional video. Known for his candid and often humorous commentary, Jones didn’t hold back in criticizing what he sees as a clear rule violation.

“He gives up wrist control and then sneaks his fingers in like he’s 13 at the movies,” Jones remarked.

Jones’ main contention is that Makhachev inserts his fingers into his opponent’s MMA glove to gain an unfair advantage and set up a footsweep, as highlighted in a fan-edited video showing Makhachev using this tactic against Charles Oliveira.

As this controversy unfolds, Jones has expressed his dismay at the lack of rule enforcement, questioning the oversight by officials. “What do we have here? A glove the referee won’t f*cking see,” he said.

Jones, who coaches UFC featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, shared these views during an interview with Submission Radio. He also compared the grappling skills of Khabib Nurmagomedov and Makhachev, suggesting that while Khabib might be the superior grappler, Makhachev has demonstrated better striking capabilities.

Despite these controversies, Makhachev managed to secure a unanimous decision win in their first bout, and in the rematch, he achieved a knockout victory with a head kick, bypassing any grappling exchanges.

Check out the video here:

If you ain’t cheating you ain’t trying 😂 pic.twitter.com/lOIC7NQE53

— BJJotter (@JiujitsuOtter) June 14, 2024

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