Quick answer: Craig Jones is an Australian Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, no-gi submission grappler, coach, and event promoter. He is best known for his ADCC silver medals, leg-lock and triangle-heavy attacking style, role in the B-Team/Danaher Death Squad era, and for creating the Craig Jones Invitational.
Craig Jones has been one of the main characters in modern no-gi grappling, both as a competitor and as an organizer. For event-specific context, see GrapplerHQ’s Craig Jones Invitational guide.
Craig Jones quick facts
| Detail | Summary |
|---|---|
| Full name | Craig Benjamin Jones |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Primary sport | No-gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and submission grappling |
| Rank | BJJ black belt |
| Known for | Leg locks, triangles, Z-guard/knee-shield attacks, ADCC runs, B-Team, and CJI |
| Major ADCC result | Two-time ADCC silver medalist, including 2022 -99kg silver |
| Promotion role | Founder/organizer of the Craig Jones Invitational |
Who is Craig Jones?
Craig Jones is one of the most recognizable figures in modern no-gi grappling. He built his competitive reputation through high-level submission wins, ADCC podium runs, and a style that made leg locks and triangle variations feel dangerous from positions where many athletes were only trying to survive.
Jones is also important because his influence extends beyond his own matches. He was part of the Danaher Death Squad era, became a central figure around B-Team Jiu-Jitsu in Austin, and then moved into event promotion with the Craig Jones Invitational. That makes him both an athlete profile and a major figure in the modern no-gi grappling ecosystem.
Career snapshot
Jones first broke through to a wider grappling audience with his 2017 ADCC run, where he submitted major names and became a genuine threat in elite no-gi competition. He later won ADCC silver in 2019 and again in 2022, with the 2022 result coming in the -99kg division after a run that included a semifinal win over Nicholas Meregali before a final loss to Kaynan Duarte.
Outside ADCC, Jones has competed across promotions such as Polaris, UFC Fight Pass Invitational, Karate Combat’s Pit Submission Series, Submission Underground, and Quintet-style team events. He has also coached and trained with high-level MMA athletes, which helped make his grappling style visible outside the pure BJJ audience.
| Career area | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| ADCC | Established Jones as an elite no-gi medalist against the best grapplers in the world. |
| B-Team | Connected him to one of the most visible no-gi teams after the Danaher Death Squad split. |
| CJI | Moved him from competitor/coach into event promotion and athlete-pay conversation. |
| Instructional influence | Helped popularize modern leg-lock, triangle, and anti-wrestling ideas for no-gi athletes. |
Craig Jones’ grappling style
Jones is usually associated with leg attacks, triangles, and a relaxed-looking but frustrating guard game. From a training perspective, the interesting part is not only that he attacks legs. It is how comfortable he is creating dilemmas: if an opponent pulls away from one entry, they can expose a triangle; if they pressure in, they can run into leg entanglements, shoulder crunches, or back exposure.
That style is especially useful for no-gi because it does not depend on gi grips. Jones uses frames, inside position, hip angle, and upper-body connections to slow the opponent down. For students, the big lesson is that his game is less about one magic move and more about chaining threats until the opponent has to defend the wrong thing.
- Leg locks: Jones helped make lower-body attacks feel practical at the highest level of no-gi grappling.
- Triangles: He uses triangle variations as both finishing attacks and control positions.
- Guard attacks: His knee-shield and Z-guard ideas are often used to connect upper-body and lower-body threats.
- Anti-wrestling: Jones’ style often punishes aggressive forward pressure with front-headlock, guard, and leg-entry threats.
B-Team, New Wave, and CJI context
After the Danaher Death Squad split, Jones became closely associated with B-Team Jiu-Jitsu alongside athletes such as Nicky Rodriguez, Nicky Ryan, and Ethan Crelinsten. Public reporting in 2025 described B-Team and New Wave as moving into rebranded chapters after CJI 2, so this page avoids treating any team label as permanently fixed without a fresh source check.
The Craig Jones Invitational changed how many grappling fans talk about athlete pay and event presentation. The first CJI in 2024 ran opposite ADCC weekend in Las Vegas and offered million-dollar prizes in men’s divisions. CJI 2 in 2025 used a team format, with B-Team beating New Wave by tiebreaker in the final according to MMA Mania’s event coverage.
Notable rivals and related grapplers
Jones’ profile connects naturally to several other GrapplerHQ athlete pages. Gordon Ryan is the obvious comparison because of the Danaher Death Squad split and the New Wave/B-Team rivalry. Nicky Rod matters because of B-Team, CJI, and the Gordon Ryan rivalry. Kaynan Duarte and Nicholas Meregali matter because of Jones’ 2022 ADCC run.
For more context around his career, compare him with Gordon Ryan, Nicky Rod, Marcelo Garcia, and a future leg-lock or Z-guard guide.
Why Craig Jones is worth studying
Craig Jones is worth studying because the profile connects results, style, and ruleset context instead of stopping at a short biography. A useful grappler profile should help readers understand what the athlete is known for, what their game looks like, and why those details matter when watching matches or comparing eras.
For Craig Jones, the important reading is not only the list of achievements. It is how the athlete’s strengths show up under pressure: how they win grips, manage distance, force reactions, and turn positional advantages into points, control, or submissions.
What to study in Craig Jones’s game
- Leg locks: Jones helped make lower-body attacks feel practical at the highest level of no-gi grappling. Leg attacks are most useful to study as entries, reactions, and finishing positions rather than isolated submissions.
- Triangles: He uses triangle variations as both finishing attacks and control positions. For study purposes, focus on how this habit connects positions instead of treating it as a single move.
- Guard attacks: His knee-shield and Z-guard ideas are often used to connect upper-body and lower-body threats. When studying Craig Jones, watch how guard choices create the next layer of offense: sweeps, back exposure, leg entries, or space to stand back up.
- Anti-wrestling: Jones’ style often punishes aggressive forward pressure with front-headlock, guard, and leg-entry threats. When studying Craig Jones, watch how guard choices create the next layer of offense: sweeps, back exposure, leg entries, or space to stand back up.
Training takeaways
The practical takeaway is to study sequences, not isolated moves. Look for the entry, the reaction it creates, the follow-up, and the way Craig Jones keeps the match inside a preferred tempo. That is where a profile becomes useful for someone who trains.
It also helps to read the results through the ruleset. Gi, no-gi, ADCC-style scoring, professional submission grappling, and MMA-adjacent formats all reward different choices. The same athlete can look different depending on whether the match rewards guard passing, back control, submission hunting, overtime control, or positional risk management.
For more context, compare this profile with related GrapplerHQ pages such as /events/craig-jones-invitational-a-complete-guide/, /grappling/gordon-ryan-vs-nicky-former-teammates/, /techniques/rear-naked-choke/, /profiles/.
Sources and further reading
For readers who want to dig deeper into Craig Jones’ career, ADCC results, and CJI context, these references are useful starting points.
- Craig Jones profile reference for biographical and competitive summary discovery.
- 2022 ADCC World Championship results for the -99kg podium and related event context.
- Craig Jones Invitational reference for CJI 2024/CJI 2 structure and results discovery.
- MMA Mania CJI 2 coverage for the 2025 B-Team/New Wave final and rebrand context.
FAQ
What is Craig Jones known for?
Craig Jones is known for elite no-gi grappling, ADCC silver-medal performances, leg-lock and triangle attacks, his role around B-Team Jiu-Jitsu, and founding the Craig Jones Invitational.
Is Craig Jones a BJJ black belt?
Yes. Craig Jones is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and one of the best-known Australian no-gi grapplers.
Did Craig Jones win ADCC?
Craig Jones has not won an ADCC world title, but he is a two-time ADCC silver medalist and has beaten multiple elite opponents at ADCC and other no-gi events.
What is the Craig Jones Invitational?
The Craig Jones Invitational is a submission grappling event founded by Craig Jones. It became known for large prize money, free streaming, and direct competition with the traditional ADCC weekend in 2024.
