Craig Jones isn’t just preparing to face Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson—he’s also torching an entire sport while he’s at it. Just days ago, Jones announced that his super fight for Craig Jones Invitational 2 (CJI 2) will be against the Olympic wrestling champ in a wild cross-sport showdown. The match is set for August 31 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, and it’s part of a larger Quintet-style team event. Craig Jones—the self-declared “King of Jiu-Jitsu”—was never going to stay quiet before a match like this. And sure enough, he fired his first shots.
The chaos started when Craig appeared on The B-Team’s YouTube channel and immediately set the tone. “I will be facing the big, the bold, and the beautiful Gable Steveson—the Black Two, the four B’s,” he joked. Then came the real shots: “We’re going to ask the question: what’s better, wrestling or jiu-jitsu? What’s gay? What’s more dominant? What is the better grappling art?” And then the zinger that instantly grabbed headlines: “Wrestling is the weakest and the most feminine of all the combat sports.”
Now, to be clear, that jab wasn’t just to be edgy—Craig had a point to make. In his eyes, wrestling has major holes when it comes to submission grappling. He mocked the entire concept, saying the sport “can literally be defeated by sitting down.” According to him, wrestlers fall apart the second their opponent pulls guard. He said, “Every technique they have disappears the second someone’s butt touches the floor.” He also took a swing at wrestling’s reputation in UFC, claiming it gets too much credit despite being “boring” and “rarely leading to finishes.”
But that wasn’t even his final form. Craig flipped the typical wrestler vs. jiu-jitsu banter on its head, calling out the irony in how wrestlers often label BJJ guys as “gay” for scooting on the mat—yet wrestlers themselves wear singlets, lace up their “wrestling birds,” and slap on ear guards before rolling around trying to pin another man. The 33-year-old added, “They fight tooth and nail to see who can be on top of the other man for longer.” It was classic Craig: brutally honest, sarcastic, and absolutely meant to rattle some cages before the big fight.
So, why all the smoke? Simple—Jones is selling the fight, and he’s doing it his way. The mind games have already started, and Craig’s making sure the narrative isn’t just about Gable Steveson’s wrestling credentials. He’s bringing the entertainment, the swagger, and most importantly, the challenge. Whether fans love him or hate him, no one’s ignoring Craig Jones now—and come August 31, he plans to prove that jiu-jitsu isn’t just better… it’s what finishes fights.
But here’s what makes it even more interesting—this showdown is coming right after Steveson’s shocking loss at the NCAA Championships. The timing? Brutal. The stakes? Sky-high.
Gable Steveson’s wild ride keeps getting wilder
Gable Steveson’s been everywhere—college wrestling champ, Olympic gold medalist, WWE star, even gave the NFL a shot with the Buffalo Bills. But hey, even the biggest names take a hit now and then. After a six-year unbeaten run and a wild 73-match win streak, Gable walked into the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships looking to grab one more title. What he didn’t see coming? Wyatt Hendrickson of Oklahoma State, as he pulled off a last-second takedown—the only one Steveson gave up all season—to snatch the win, 5-4. Meanwhile, Gable, who came out of retirement for this, was left stunned.
But let’s not pretend this guy isn’t still a beast. Gable Steveson had never played a snap of football before trying out for the Bills in 2024. Then he flipped the script again—went back to school for one more shot at NCAA glory. And now? He’s diving into MMA territory.
He’s been doing jiu-jitsu, boxing, and training with none other than UFC heavyweight champ Jon Jones. Even after the NCAA loss, NFL teams are still calling. Whether it’s the gridiron, the cage, or another backflip on the mat, Gable Steveson’s not done—he’s just getting started. And now, with Craig Jones waiting at CJI 2, the heat’s only turning up.
The post Ahead of Gable Steveson Showdown, Craig Jones Sparks Uproar by Branding Wrestling as the ‘Most Feminine Sport’ appeared first on EssentiallySports.
