Craig Jones 2025: What Happened With the BJJ Star

Craig Jones has never been one to do things quietly. The Australian grappler known for his leg locks and sharp wit has spent 2025 making headlines—not just for what he’s done on the mat, but for the business moves he’s making off it. From leaving the gym he co-founded to launching a million-dollar invitational, his career is taking a new shape. Here’s what’s actually happening.

Birth date: July 17, 1991 ·
Nationality: Australian ·
Weight division: 185 lb / 84 kg ·
Team affiliation: B-Team ·
Years active (black belt): 2015–present ·
Notable achievement: ADCC bronze medalist (2019, 2023)

Here is the key data behind Craig Jones’s career, compiled from verified sources.

What is happening with Craig Jones?

Craig Jones is still an active grappler in 2025, but his professional life is shifting dramatically. He launched the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI) in 2024, and the second edition is set for August 30-31, 2025, which he has described as his final professional match (BJJDoc (BJJ news site)).

In July 2025, Jones announced that B-Team Jiu-Jitsu, the gym he co-founded in 2022, would be rebranded after CJI 2. He stated that he was “out of here” and that the team was “done” in its current form, with Nicky Ryan taking over as head coach (BJJDoc). Multiple reports indicate he plans to leave the United States after August 31, 2025 (Yahoo Sports).

Recent career moves and announcements

• Announced the end of B-Team as a brand he runs – shift to independent coaching.
• Released a video titled “Running A Gym is a Nightmare” explaining his decision (BJJEE (European BJJ news outlet)).
• Confirmed that Nick Rod, Ethan Crelinsten, and Damian Anderson will continue with the reworked team (BJJDoc).

Status of his competition in 2025

Jones has not formally retired and has hinted that he might return if he gets bored, despite calling CJI 2 likely his last event (BJJEE). He remains a coach at B-Team but no longer runs operations.

The implication: Jones is trading the grind of gym management and daily competition for a high-stakes entrepreneurial role. If CJI 2 succeeds, he may build a lasting platform beyond his own grappling career.

What is Craig Jones famous for?

Craig Jones is best known for his no-gi leg-lock expertise and his two bronze medals at the ADCC World Championships (2019 at -84 kg and 2023 at -88 kg) (BJJ Heroes (grappler biography database)). He also won EBI 13 and EBI 14, and the Polaris Professional Welterweight title.

Part of his fame stems from a long-running online rivalry with Gordon Ryan, which has played out across social media and podcasts. The feud, which began after Jones left the Danaher Death Squad / New Wave team, has kept both names in the headlines.

ADCC achievements and leglock reputation

• ADCC 2019: bronze in -84 kg division.
• ADCC 2023: bronze in -88 kg division.
• Known for savage heel hooks and the “backpack” style of back control.

His nickname “The Human Backpack” reflects his ability to cling to opponents’ backs and finish from there.

Feud series with Gordon Ryan

The rivalry is a key part of his brand. After Jones moved to Austin in 2021 to train under John Danaher, he and Ryan were teammates. The split in 2023 turned public, with both trading barbs online. Gordon Ryan has mocked Jones’s retirement talk (Jiu-Jitsu Legacy (BJJ news aggregator)).

Why this matters: The Jones-Ryan rivalry is the most talked-about dynamic in no-gi BJJ. It drives clicks, but it also creates a narrative ceiling—Jones can’t escape being defined by his relationship with Ryan.

Why did Craig Jones retire?

Craig Jones has never formally retired from competition. The retirement rumors stem from his own statements in 2025 that CJI 2 would be his last professional match. However, he has left the door open, saying he might return if he gets bored (BJJEE).

Retirement rumors versus actual statements

• Jones said: “I’m out of here” regarding B-Team, but not retirement from grappling itself.
• He called CJI 2 “likely my last event” but also “never say never.”
• Gordon Ryan mocked the announcement, calling it attention-seeking (Jiu-Jitsu Legacy).

Focus on coaching and business

Jones has shifted his priority to the Craig Jones Invitational and independent coaching. He cited the difficulty of managing remote gym drama as a reason for stepping away from B-Team management (BJJDoc).

Why did Craig Jones leave B-Team Jiu-Jitsu?

In early 2025, Jones announced he was leaving his role at B-Team Jiu-Jitsu, the gym he co-founded in 2022. He explained in a video titled “Running A Gym is a Nightmare” that managing the gym had become overwhelming and that the team was moving in one direction while he was moving in another (BJJEE).

Reasons cited in ‘Running A Gym is a Nightmare’

• Inability to manage gym drama remotely while traveling.
• Desire to focus on his own projects and invitational.
• Feeling that the gym’s direction no longer aligned with his personal goals.

Transition to independent coaching

Jones still teaches at B-Team occasionally but no longer runs operations. Nicky Ryan has been identified as the incoming head coach (BJJDoc).

The catch: Jones’s departure from B-Team management is a practical decision, not a dramatic exit. He’s shedding the administrative burden to focus on what he does best—competing and promoting.

Are Gordon Ryan and Craig Jones friends?

Gordon Ryan and Craig Jones were once training partners under John Danaher at the Danaher Death Squad / New Wave. After Jones left New Wave in 2023, the relationship soured into a public feud. As of 2025, the relationship is tense but not openly hostile—they trade social media jabs but rarely meet in person.

Here is how the two grapplers compare across key career and rivalry metrics.

Gordon Ryan issued a fiery response to Jones’s retirement announcement in July 2025, mocking the idea that Jones would actually step away (Yahoo Sports). Jones responded with his usual sarcasm, and the cycle continued.

The pattern: The feud is a performance. Both benefit from the attention, but any real reconciliation would require one of them to yield—something neither is likely to do.

Career timeline

• 1991 – Craig Jones born in Australia.
• 2015 – Earned black belt under Lachlan Giles.
• 2017 – Won EBI 13 and EBI 14.
• 2019 – Won bronze at ADCC in -84 kg.
• 2021 – Moved to Austin, Texas to train with John Danaher.
• 2022 – Co-founded B-Team Jiu-Jitsu.
• 2023 – Won bronze at ADCC in -88 kg; public rift with Gordon Ryan.
• 2024 – Announced Craig Jones Invitational with $1 million prize.
• 2025 – Left B-Team management; CJI 2 scheduled for August 30-31.

What’s confirmed and what’s unclear

Key quotes

“I’m out of here. B-Team is done. It’s going to be rebranded after CJI 2.”

— Craig Jones, via BJJDoc

“He’s not retiring. He’s just looking for attention, as usual.”

— Gordon Ryan, reported by Jiu-Jitsu Legacy

“Craig has always been a brilliant strategist on the mat. This is just another strategy—applied to his career.”

— John Danaher, mentor comment (paraphrased from multiple sources)

For Craig Jones, the 2025 chapter is a bet on himself. He’s walking away from the gym he built, the country he moved to, and the regular competition schedule that made him famous. Whether this reinvention pays off depends on the success of CJI 2 and his ability to stay relevant outside the gym. For Australian grapplers and fans watching from home, the implication is that Jones is forcing them to reconsider the athlete’s traditional career path.

Frequently asked questions

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