This weekend, Las Vegas becomes the epicenter of grappling as two major tournaments unfold simultaneously. The Craig Jones Invitational (CJI), a rising star in the competitive grappling scene, is taking the spotlight at the Thomas & Mack Center. Meanwhile, across town at T-Mobile Arena, the prestigious Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) 2024 event is set to captivate fans.
CJI kicks off on Friday, August 16, 2024, with Day 1 action commencing at 6 p.m. ET. Grappling enthusiasts can catch all the action live and free via online streaming. The excitement continues on Saturday, August 17, with Day 2 starting at 8 p.m. ET.
While ADCC 2024 boasts super fights featuring no-gi phenomenon Gordon Ryan, CJI counters with its own star-studded lineup. The event is headlined by Craig Jones himself, facing off against Gabi Garcia, a nine-time world champion from Brazil. This clash of titans promises to be a highlight of the weekend’s grappling extravaganza.
For those eager to tune in, here are the global start times for CJI 2024:
United States
- Day 1: 3 PM EST | Friday, 16th August
- Day 2: 5 PM EST | Saturday, 17th August
Brazil
- Day 1: 7 PM BRT | Friday, 16th August
- Day 2: 9 PM BRT | Saturday, 1 7th August
United Kingdom
- Day 1: 11 PM BST | Friday, 16th August
- Day 2: 1 AM BST | Sunday, 18th August
Australia
- Day 1: 8 AM AEST | Saturday, 17th August
- Day 2: 10 AM AEST | Sunday, 18th August
South Africa
- Day 1: 12 AM SAST | Saturday, 17th August
- Day 2: 2 AM SAST | Sunday, 1 8th August
Ukraine
- Day 1: 1 AM EEST | Saturday. 17th August
- Day 2: 3 AM EEST | Sunday, 18th August
China
- Day 1: 6 AM CST | Saturday, 17th August
- Day 2: 8 AM CST | Sunday, 18th August
India
- Day 1: 3:30 AM IST | Saturday, 17th August
- Day 2: 5:30 AM IST | Sunday, 18th August
This weekend promises to be a feast for grappling fans, with two world-class events showcasing the sport’s elite talent in the heart of Sin City.
Complementing the tournament brackets, CJI has arranged two high-profile super fights to further elevate the event’s prestige. In a stunning coup, former ADCC champion Mackenzie Dern has been enticed to participate, reportedly due to an exceptionally lucrative offer. Dern is set to face off against the formidable Ffion Davies, the current ADCC gold medalist. This matchup between two of grappling’s most accomplished competitors promises to be a highlight of the event, showcasing world-class skill and technique.
Craig Jones Invitational Day 1 Results:
Craig’s not competing in the brackets, though. He’s saving himself for a super fight against Gabi Garcia. Yeah, you heard that right. It’s going to be wild.
They’ve got Renato Laranja hyping up the match, cracking jokes left and right. It’s like old times if you remember him from a few years back.
Oh, and get this – Craig’s so confident he’s bet $100,000 on himself to win by leglock. Talk about putting your money where your mouth is!
But that’s for tomorrow. Tonight’s big match is Mackenzie Dern vs. Ffion Davies. Both of these ladies are absolute killers on the mat.
The best part? You can watch it all for free on YouTube. It’s going to be a crazy weekend for jiu-jitsu, that’s for sure!
Under 80 kg:
- Tye Ruotolo vs. Jason Nolf — Ruotolo def. Nolf via submission (kneebar), Round 3, 4:16
- Roberto Jimenez vs Levi Jones-Leary — Jones-Leary def. Jimenez via submission (heel hook), Round 1, 2:56
- Lucas Barbosa vs. Kenta Iwamoto — Barbosa def. Iwamoto via decision (30-27, 29-28×2)
- Jozef Chen vs. Andy Varela — Chen def. Varela via decision (30-26, 30-27, 29-27)
- Kade Ruotolo vs. Matheus Diniz — Ruotolo def. Diniz via submission (“Aoki” ankle lock), Round 1, 4:43
- Renato Canuto vs. Tommy Langaker — Langaker def. Canuto via decision (30-26 x3)
- Magid Hage vs. Eoghan O’Flanagan — O’Flanagan def. Hage via submission (heel hook), Round 1, 1:39
- Nicky Ryan vs. Andrew Tackett — Tackett def. Ryan via decision (30-25 x2, 30-24)
Quarterfinal round
- Tye Ruotolo vs. Levi Jones-Leary — Jones-Leary def. Ruotolo via decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)
- Lucas Barbosa vs. Jozef Chen — Barbosa def. Chen via submission (knee crush), Round 3, 3:34
- Kade Ruotolo vs. Tommy Langaker — Ruotolo def. Langaker via decision (30-27, 30-26 x2)
- Eoghan O’Flanagan vs. Andrew Tackett — Tackett def. O’Flanagan via decision (30-26 x3)
Over 80kg:
- Nicky Rodriguez vs. Max Gimenis — Rodriguez def. Gimenis via submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 1:45
- Owen Livesey vs. Mahamed Aly — Livesey def. Aly via decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-27)
- Adam Bradley vs. Kyle Boehm — Bradley def. Boehm via decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)
- Luke Rockhold vs. Pat Downey — Downey def. Rockhold via decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-25)
- Victor Hugo vs. Lucas Kanard — Kanard def. Hugo via submission (inside heel hook), Round 1, 1:10
- Inacio Santos vs. Pedro Alex — Santos def. Alex via decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)
- Fellipe Andrew vs. Daniel Greg Kerkvliet — Andrew def. Kerkvliet via decision (30-27 x2, 30-26)
- William Tackett vs. Joao Gabriel Rocha — Rocha def. Tackett via decision (29-27 x2, 29-26)
Quarterfinal round
- Nicky Rodriguez vs. Owen Livesey — Rodriguez def. Livesey via submission (rear naked choke), Round 1, 3:40
- Adam Bradley vs. Pat Downey — Bradley def. Downey via decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)
- Lucas Kanard vs. Inacio Santos — Santos def. Kanard via decision (29-28 x3)
- Felipe Andrew vs. Joao Gabriel Rocha — Andrew def. Rocha via decision (30-27 x3)
