Stuart Cooper, the legendary Jiu-Jitsu videographer, recently opened up about his strained relationship with ADCC due to FloGrappling’s involvement.

Speaking on the El Segundo podcast with Craig Jones, Cooper discussed his history with ADCC and how FloGrappling led to their fallout.
He first explained how his work at ADCC came to be:

I just got an Instagram message from Mo (Jassim) saying if I would like to be there to film 2019 ADCC.
I was like: “Yes, great, thanks for thinking of me! I’d love to!”

I was like: “Look, will I have any trouble with FloGrappling?”
And he was like: “Nope. I have in the contract I’ve got my own videographer. You have full access… Don’t worry about it, you’ve got full access.”

And I’m like: “Can I use the footage for some of my own videos afterwards?”
And he’s like: “Yeah, you can do whatever you want with the footage afterwards.”

However, restrictions came up soon enough:

When it actually came to (it), I flew all the way out to California and then I think it was a couple of days before, all of a sudden FloGrappling are giving me a lot of restrictions about what I can or cannot do.

They’re saying I’m not allowed submission finishes in the highlight, which is kinda strange.
It’s, like, we’re doing an ADCC highlight here – you want a highlight with no submission finishes?!

He filmed it nevertheless, but had to wait a long time until the highlights video was released – i.e. until FloGrappling gave him permission.
Which is when Jassim intervened:

 He’s like: “Look, I’m the boss, they do as I say, just release it!”
I’m like: “Mo, I don’t want any trouble here, can you just call Flo up and get the green light. Talk to them and say that we spoke and I’m gonna put this out?”

Jassim allegedly resolved it, but…

He gets back to me the next day and goes: “You’re good, go ahead and release it”, so I released the highlight.

Next thing you know, my text messages, my emails… I’m getting quite threatening emails from FloGrappling, very upset that I released this highlight.

So I’m like super f*cking confused, so I actually call up Riccardo (Ammendolia) and I’m like: “Riccardo, what’s going on?!”

He goes: “Why did you release the highlight?!” And I’m like: “Hang on, didn’t Mo call you up yesterday to say that we’re gonna release this?”
And he goes: “Yeah, he did but you still shouldn’t have done it.”

Watch the entire interview to hear more details on the failed collaboration:

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