Craig Jones has stunned the grappling world by admitting that the second Craig Jones Invitational may end up losing $800,000 once the event is over.
The news comes as a surprise given the massive success of the inaugural CJI, which offered the biggest prize money in Jiu-Jitsu history, drew huge viewership, and even raised $500,000 for charity while covering all its costs.
This year’s edition lowered the prize pool from $2 million to $1 million and introduced Quintet rules.
Despite boasting one of the strongest lineups ever, Jones revealed the event is struggling to move tickets, with sales falling more than 1,000 short of expectations just two weeks out.
Another factor may be the loss of the heated rivalry with ADCC that fueled CJI’s first event.
With no head-to-head competition this year – and Jones confirming that future events won’t clash with ADCC – the promotional energy has shifted almost entirely to the fight card itself.
Jones has already teased plans for CJI 3 in 2026, but with CJI 2 set to bleed cash, it’s unclear how this setback will impact the promotion’s long-term future:
Literally at this rate will lose 800k on the event. F*ck it. For the history books. I believe in quintet format for entertainment value.
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