In a stunning turn of events, Adam “Trab” Bradley, head jiu jitsu coach at Arena, has accepted an invitation to compete in the highly anticipated Craig Jones Invitational (CJI) NoGi grappling tournament. The event, set to take place on August 16-17 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, has already generated significant buzz in the grappling community due to its hefty prize purse and direct competition with the long-standing premier NoGi event, ADCC.
The CJI tournament is offering an impressive $10,000 to each athlete just for showing up, and an astounding $1 million prize for each division winner. This substantial financial incentive has attracted many top grapplers who were originally planning to compete at ADCC, causing them to change course and sign up for the inaugural CJI event instead.
Craig Jones, the mastermind behind CJI, has made it clear that his event is a protest against the lack of athlete pay at ADCC. Despite spending a considerable portion of their budget on the event venue, fireworks, and other non-athlete performers, ADCC offers a relatively modest $10,000 to division winners and $40,000 to the Superfight winner, with no guaranteed compensation for showing up.
The decision by Adam “Trab” Bradley to compete in the 80+ kg division at CJI is a significant endorsement of the event’s mission to prioritize athlete compensation. As a respected figure in the jiu jitsu community and head coach at the renowned Arena gym, Bradley’s participation is sure to draw even more attention to the CJI tournament.
The grappling world is eagerly awaiting the showdown between CJI and ADCC, as both events are scheduled to take place on the same weekend, with ADCC being held just down the street at the T-Mobile Arena. The clash of these two tournaments has sparked a heated debate about the importance of athlete pay and the future direction of the sport.
As the grappling community continues to grow and evolve, events like the Craig Jones Invitational are challenging the status quo and pushing for better treatment and compensation for athletes. With the backing of top competitors like Adam “Trab” Bradley, it is clear that the demand for change is stronger than ever.
