Controversy has started following the Craig Jones Invitational 2 team competition, with Gordon Ryan taking to social media to voice his displeasure after the B Team claimed the million-dollar prize.
In an Instagram post that quickly gained traction among Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fans, Ryan made his feelings clear about the tournament’s outcome. “Corruption at its finest. Not suprised at all,” he wrote in the first part of his message, before adding, “Making up rules on the spot is always a good way to guarantee your team wins.”
Gordon has also made numerous other posts calling out the Craig Jones Invitational event.
The allegations come after B Team successfully navigated through a grueling tournament format to reach the finals. Their path to victory began with a win over Daisy Fresh in the quarterfinals, where Nick Rodriguez secured a crucial submission victory over Brandon Reed. The team then advanced past Team Australia in the semifinals through a last-man-standing format, setting up their championship opportunity.
B Team’s roster featured some of the sport’s most recognized names, including Nick Rodriguez, Chris Wojcik, Ethan Crelinsten, and Victor Hugo.
The tournament structure itself proved challenging for all participating teams, with numerous matches ending in draws due to the double elimination format when no submissions were achieved within the time limits. This format led to several key matchups being decided by judges’ decisions and last-man-standing scenarios.
Ryan’s accusations suggest he believes the tournament organizers manipulated the rules to favor certain outcomes, though he did not specify which particular decisions prompted his response.
The Craig Jones Invitational has positioned itself as a major player in the competitive grappling community, offering substantial prize money that rivals traditional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitions. The million-dollar team prize represents one of the largest payouts in the sport’s history.
Other notable results from the weekend included Helena Crevar’s victory in the women’s $100,000 bracket, where she defeated Sarah Galvão with an Aoki Lock submission. The individual competition also featured Craig Jones himself competing against former MMA icon Chael Sonnen, securing victory with a buggy choke submission.
