Craig Jones Invitational (CJI) is an international submission grappling tournament created and organized by Craig Jones and Seth Belisle.
It launched in 2024 with a bold vision: to elevate the competitive grappling scene with elite athletes, meaningful payouts, and high-stakes matches streamed for fans around the world – free to watch online.
April 2024
CJI announced: New grappling event with record prize money.
August 2024
CJI 1: $1M prizes and Craig Jones vs. Gabi Garcia superfight.
December 2024
CJI 2 confirmed: team format and a $100K women's bracket.
August 2025
CJI 2: 8 teams compete for a $1M team prize, $100K women's bracket and Craig Jones vs. Chael Sonnen superfight.
Compete in Vegas
From the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, CJI has featured multiple competition formats, including traditional divisions with $1 million prizes for champions and special events like team-based grappling and superfights. The event draws top talent across the sport and continues to push submission grappling forward by experimenting with new formats, high payouts for competitors, and exciting matchups that energize fans globally.
Want to know what's next?
The Craig Jones Invitational
Stay up to date on upcoming CJI events and announcements.
Follow CJI on Instagram to find out what’s next.