It looks like Tom Aspinall’s training partner just channeled his inner Nate Diaz, and his target? None other than UFC boss Dana White. Craig Jones, the Aussie BJJ mastermind and training partner to the UFC interim heavyweight champ, recently lit up Instagram with a flurry of posts that didn’t just throw shade, they launched a full-blown counterattack.
And the trigger? A suspiciously familiar setup on UFC’s new BJJ show, plus Dana White’s bold $10–$12 million investment in what he called going “big on (jiu-jitsu)”. For Jones, that figure wasn’t a milestone. It was a red flag.
The Australian shared a clip of Joe Pesci going “What the f— is this?” with a caption on Instagram that read, “10-12 million dollars well spent.” But if you thought that would be the end of it, Jones took it up a notch in a series of stories on Instagram.
In another post, he added a screengrab of UFC’s upcoming BJJ show, poking fun with the caption, “Love on the Spectrum Season 4.” And in true meme fashion, he slapped Mikey Musumeci’s head onto a skateboarder’s body, captioned, “It’s a bowl.”
The reason behind the “bowl” comments? Jones explained that too with a screenshot of the UFC’s grappling mat that bore an uncanny similarity to the designs used for the ‘Craig Jones Invitational’ tournament. It also contained a clip of Dana White going “That’s f— illegal”. And the cherry on top of it all? Nate Diaz’s iconic, “You’re taking everything I’ve worked for motherf— I’m a fight your f— a— next’”
But beneath the jokes lies real frustration. A few weeks ago, Jones publicly shredded what he called “exploitative contracts” being handed to grapplers. He compared Dana White’s UFC FPI’s structure to a boxing match where you lose half your purse unless you score a knockout. “That, I believe, is an exploitative contract,” he warned in a YouTube video.
UFC FPI matchmaker Claudia Gadelha had also confirmed the very structure Jones critiqued in a statement earlier, where she’d revealed, “There’s only show money and finish money, there’s no win money. So you go out there, and you got to get a finish.”
Craig Jones has been on both sides of the cage, first as a competitor at UFC’s own Fight Pass Invitational, where he beat elite names like Felipe Pena and Rafael Lovato Jr., and now as a promoter, running events like CJI with massive prize pools. His upcoming CJI 2 team tournament in August is proof that fair pay and big stages aren’t mutually exclusive, as it features a $1 million prize.
So why is Jones really upset? The heart of it might not just be about money, it’s about credit. According to Jones, he introduced the 10-point scoring system for grappling before UFC adopted a similar format. Now, with the UFC entering full throttle into BJJ, launching a TUF-style reality series, and pouring millions into expansion, he feels erased.
And the Nate Diaz reference in his story? It’s starting to make a whole lot more sense now! But there’s another layer to Craig Jones’ frustration, and this one’s aimed at the UFC and Dana White’s belief in their marketing magic.
Craig Jones holds nothing back as he urges grapplers to “don’t buy that s—‘ as Dana White feud heats up
In the video on his YouTube channel where Craig Jones shredded the UFC and Dana White’s “exploitative” BJJ contracts, he also questioned the idea that the UFC’s platform alone can elevate BJJ to new heights. According to the CJI founder, “A lot of people are held up and they’re like ‘oh you get the marketing machine of this’ but guys, remember, if the audience of that boos grappling and wrestling exchanges, do you think they’re going to care? Do you think there’s going to be any crossover from a group of people that boo grappling?”
It’s a fair point. The UFC built its empire on knockouts, blood, and big personalities. So can a sport that thrives on subtle technique and positional dominance really win over fans hungry for chaos?
Jones doesn’t think so. He urged fellow grapplers to see through the glitz and, “Don’t buy that s—t. There’s a lot of things happening in the sport, and there’s a lot of big organizations that do compensate well and do actually have surprisingly good contracts. So if someone presents you with an absurd 50/50 contract, tell them to go f—k themselves.”
So here we are. On one side, the UFC and Dana White with millions, cameras, and confidence. On the other hand, Craig Jones, armed with memes, sarcasm, and a movement of his own. One question remains: will BJJ thrive under corporate lights, or lose its soul in the spotlight? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
The post Tom Aspinall’s Training Partner Goes Full Nate Diaz Against Dana White’s “$10- $12 Million” Investment Bullying Him Out of the BJJ World appeared first on EssentiallySports.
