BJJ

Craig Jones– First Australian to Win IBJJF Championship

Craig Jones– First Australian to Win IBJJF Championship

1. Craig Jones’s Details

Craig Jones’s Details
Name Craig Benjamin Jones
Pro MMA Record 51-19-2 (Win-Loss-Draw)
Nickname NA
Date of Birth 17-07-1991
Age 30
Height 6’2”
Weight  90 kg
Born Adelaide, South Australia
Nationality Australian
Last Fight Jan 21, 2022, in WNO(Who’s Number One) Championship
Weight Division Light Heavyweight / Polaris
Middleweight
Career Disclosed Earning NA
Fought out of Melbourne, Australia
College/University NA
Foundation Style Grappling / BJJ/
MA1
Lineage Carlos Gracie –> Helio Gracie –> Carlos Gracie Junior –> Jean Jacques Macahdo –> John Will –> John Simon –> Lachlan Giles –> Craig Jones
Team Association Absolute MMA / B-Team
Favorite Position/Technique Open Guard/Triangle Choke
Instagram Logo

2. Craig Jones’s Biography

2.1. Who is Craig Jones

Craig Jones is an Australian grappler, the Light-Heavyweight and Polaris Middleweight Champion, and an ADCC Silver Medalist. 


Jones is a black belt in BJJ under Lachlan Giles, who worked closely with instructor John Danaher and was a key member of the legendary Danaher Death Squad (DDS) team from the late 2010s to the early 2020s. In 2021, Craig became a member of the B-Team, a workgroup formed in 2021 by Jones and a couple of his former DDS (Danaher Death Squad) teammates.


Craig is well-recognized for his success in No-Gi grappling events and super fights around the world.


He has cemented his reputation as the best grappler of his generation by winning various major events, including multiple belt titles in the Polaris Invitational Organization and defeating the 88 kg Leandro Lo in the 2017 ADCC tournament.


Craig's ferocious lower body assaults, aggressive approach, and cool and collected temperament have earned him a reputation all around the globe.

2.2. Craig Jones’s Early Life and Amateur Fighting

Born in Adelaide, South Australia, on July 17, 1991, Craig was interested in sports since his childhood. He was an extremely active youngster who began his sporting career with high-intensity activities like basketball and football. But he soon switched his interest to martial arts, shifting his focus to Taekwondo and Judo for a brief period.


Craig's enthusiasm for rough-housing activities reflected his mindset as a youngster when he became interested in mixed martial arts (MMA). He soon realized that it fit him better than traditional martial arts and set his goal to become an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter by the age of 15.

2.3. Craig Joness’ Pro BJJ Journey

Joining ISOHEALTH Academy

In 2006, at the age of 15, Jones joined a BJJ academy, ISOHEALTH, managed by his cousin to fulfill his dream of becoming a UFC world champion.


He began building a reputation for himself in Australia’s national grappling circuit while studying at the ISOHEALTH Academy under the supervision of Matt Jones.

Joining Maromba Academy

After achieving his purple belt, Craig moved to the Maromba BJJ Academy in Melbourne, where his tuition was eventually picked up by Lachlan Giles. This academy later evolved into Absolute MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), which Craig now calls home.

Receiving Brown and Black Belts

Jones obtained his brown belt from Lachlan Giles in 2015 following his great performance at the IBJJF Worlds. Around the same time, he began full-time teaching in Melbourne. Craig Jones received his BJJ black belt after only a year from Giles in 2016.

Winning National and State Level Gold Medals

Craig Jones originally planned to compete in MMA, but after his first few BJJ fights, he noticed that he found pure jiu-jitsu much more enjoyable and decided to focus on that.


Craig Jones was able to win National and State level gold medals, including AFBJJ-SA State Championship and AFBJJ-NSW State Championship while still training in Adelaide. However, he had to move to Melbourne to take his practice to the next level.

Becoming First Australian to win the IBJJF World Championship

Under the supervision of Lachlan Giles, who Craig considers to be one of Australia's top athletes and teachers, he was able to qualify for the ADCC (Abu Dhabi Combat Club) Championships and became the first male from Australia to win an IBJJF world championship.

Winning ADCC Trials and World No-Gi Championship

Jones won the ADCC Trials two-time along with the 2015 World No-Gi Championship for the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF).


Craig also managed to complete his Bachelor's Degree in Behavioural Science while fighting at national and international levels to climb up the ranks of jiu-jitsu.

2.4. Craig Jones’s Pro MMA Career

After being exposed to the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Champion) in the late 2000s, Craig began practicing MMA and jiu-jitsu in Adelaide.


In 2016, Craig became an MA1-sponsored fighter and a teacher for the Absolute MMA team.

Winning the Light-Heavyweight and Middle-heavyweight Titles

Craig Jones won the Polaris Light-Heavyweight and Middle-Heavyweight Championship in 2018 by defeating Keenan Cornelius and Jake Shields respectively.

Winning Submission Underground

In December 2020, Craig Jones won the Submission Underground 20 by defeating Satoshi Ishii via rear-naked choke.

2.5. Danaher Squad Break-up and B-Team Formation

Coach Danaher declared the end of Danaher Death Squad as a single training and competition team in July 2021. The main factors behind this split were personality conflicts, the physical location of the school, and tension between team brands and the increasing individual brands of members.


Hence, during the summer of 2021, Craig formed his new team called “B-Team” with some of his DDS training partners: Ethan Crelinsten, Nicky Rodriguez, and Nicky Ryan. The training base of the B-Team was set in Austin, Texas.

2.6. Craig Jones’s Historic Wins

Craig Jones Vs Leandro Lo

In 2017, Craig stunned the world by submitting BJJ icon Murilo Santana, five-time World Champion Leandro Lo, and UFC veteran Chael Sonnen at ADCC.


Due to his submission of Lo in 2017, he got the "Biggest Shocker of the Year" award from Flograppling. Moreover, his prior performances also made him earn the “Breakthrough Grappler of the Year" award.


Year Event Opponent W/L/D Method Stage Weight Class
2017 ADCC World Championships Leandro Lo W RNC E1 88 kg

Craig Jones Vs Jake Shields

Craig won the Polaris Middleweight Championship in 2018 after defeating grappling and MMA icon Jake Shields in a few minutes.


Jake Shields is well-known for his outstanding wrestling and grappling under duress. In order to block Craig from getting to his legs, Jake employed a low grounded base and forward pressure style against Jones .


Jones used his z-guard to keep space and keep Shields off-balance while neutralizing the pressure from the top. He expertly reached the honey hole position with his inverted sweep from the z-guard. His execution was systematic and efficient from there, which enabled him to beat Shields with a splendid heel hook in the end.


Year Event Opponent W/L/D Method Stage Weight Class
2018 Polaris 6 Jake Shields W Inside Heel Hook SPF Middleweight

2.7. Craig Jones’s Championships and Accomplishments

  • WNO Championship
  • ADCC World Championship
  • Polaris (205/185) lbs Champion
  • Kasai 2 & 5 Grand Prix
  • EB11 Invitational
  • IBJJF World Championship
  • AFBJJ Pan Pacific Championship
  • ADCC Asian & Oceania Trials
  • NAGA World Championship
  • UAEJJF Abu Dhabi Pro

3. Craig Jones’s Main Achievements

Year Event Position
2017 EBI 11 Invitational 3rd Place
2018 Kasai 2 185 lbs Grand Prix 3rd Place
2018 Polaris 205 lbs Champion NA
2018 Polaris 186 lbs Champion NA
2019 Polaris 186 lbs Champion NA
2019 ADCC World Championship 2nd Place
2019 Kasai 5 205 lbs Grand Prix 3rd Place

4. Craig Jones’ Main Achievements (Coloured Belts)

Year Event Belt Position
2014 AFBJJ Pan Pacific Championship Purple 1st Place
2014 ADCC Asian and Oceania Trials Purple 1st Place
2014 NAGA World Championship Purple 1st Place
2015 IBJJF World Championship (No-Gi) Purple 1st Place
2016 ADCC Asian and Oceania Trials Purple 1st Place
3rd Place Brown UAWJ JF Abu Dhabi Pro 2016

5. Craig Jones’s Professional Record Breakdown

Professional Record Breakdown
72 Matches  51 Wins 19 Losses
By Points 1 6
By Submission 41 4
By Decision 4 3
By EBI/OT 2 4
By Advantages 0 0
Injury 1 0
Split Decision 1 0
Penalty 1 2
Draw 2

5.1 Submission Methods W/L

 Methods 41 Wins 4 Losses
Triangle 2 0
Inside Heel Hook 11 0
Heel Hook 8 0
RNC 11 1
Reverse Triangle  2 0
Leg Lock 2 0
Guillotine 1 0
Toehold 1 0
Outside Heel Hook 1 0
Ankle Lock 1 0
Foot Lock 1 0
Knee Bar 1 0
Arm Triangle Choke 0 1
Choke 0 1
Kimura 0 1

6. Craig Jones’s Match History

Year Event Opponent W/L/D Method Stage Weight Class
2022 WNO Pedro Marinho L Referee Decision SPF 93 kg
2021 Fury Pro 3 Sean Brady L Referee Decision  SPF 90 kg
2021 Polaris 17 Davi Ramos W Referee Decision SPF Middleweight (85 kg)
2021 WNO 10 Tye Ruotolo W Referee Decision SPF 90 kg
2021  WNO 9 Luiz Panza W Inside Heel Hook SPF Heavyweight
(92 kg)
2021 WNO 6 Ronaldo Junior W Inside Heel Hook SPF  88 kg
2020 Submission Underground 20 Satoshi Ishii W RNC SPF Absolute Division
2020 Submission Underground 19 Brent Primus W RNC SPF Absolute Division
2020 WNO 4 Roberto Jimenez W Inside Heel Hook SPF 93 kg
2020 Submission Underground 17 Mason Fowler L OT SPF Absolute Division
2020 Submission Underground 16 Mason Fowler L OT SPF Absolute Division
2020 Submission Underground 15 Gabriel Checco W OT SPF Absolute Division
2020 Submission Underground 14 Vagner Rocha W OT SPF 88 kg
2020 Submission Underground 13 Vinny Magalhaes W Verbal tap SPF ABS
2020 Submission Underground 12 Kevin Casey W Outside Heel Hook  SPF ABS
2019 Submission Underground 10 Gilbert Burns W Outside Heel Hook SPF 88 kg
2019 Quintet Ultra Fredsom Paixao W RNC SPF Absolute Division
2019 GrappleFest 7 Adam Wardzinski W Reverse Triangle SPF 100 kg
2019 ADCC World Championships Mason Fowler W Arm in Guillotine 4F 88 kg
2019 ADCC World Championships Ben Dyson W Inside Heel Hook R1 88 kg
2019 ADCC World Championships Jon Blank W RNC SF 88 kg
2019 ADCC World Championships Matheus Diniz L Points F 88 kg
2019 Kasai Super Series Orlando Anthony Johnson W RNC SPF ABS
2019 Third Coast Grappling Championship 2 Matheus Diniz L Points  SPF 85 kg
2019 Submission Underground 9 Anthony Johnson W Heel Hook  SPF ABS
2019 GrappleFest 5 M. Perhavec W Inside Heel Hook  SPF 88 kg
2019 Polaris 10 M. Lutes W Decision  SPF 85 kg
2019 Submission Underground 8 Denis Hallman W Toehold  SPF 88 kg
2019  Kasai Pro 5 Kaynan Duarte L RNC  RR 93 kg
2019  Kasai Pro 5 Jon Blank W RNC  RR 93 kg
2019 Kasai Pro 5 Pedro Marinho D N/A - Draw  RR 93 kg
2019 Kasai Pro 5 Jackson Sousa W Ankle Lock  3RD 93 kg
2019 Grappling Industries: Tim Spriggs vs Craig Jones Tim Spriggs W Inside Heel Hook  SPF ABS
2019 GrappleFest 4 Gabriel Arges W RNC  SPF ABS
2018 Polaris 8 Keenan Cornelius W Split Decision SPF 93 kg
2018 Quintet 3 Gordon Ryan L Choke F Absolute Division
2018 Quintet 3 Antoine Jaoude W RNC F Absolute Division
2018 Quintet 3 Richie Martinez W Footlock SF Absolute Division
2018 Quintet 3 Adam Sachnoff W RNC SF Absolute Division
2018 GrappleFest2 Matheus Diniz W Decision SPF Absolute Division
2018 Kasai Pro 3 Rousimar Palhares W Penalty SPF 185lbs
2018  Spyder Invitational BJJ Championship Quarter Final DJ Jackson L Decision SPF +76kgs
2018 BOA Super 8 Ben Hodgkinson W Heel Hook SF Absolute Division
2018 BOA Super 8 DJ Jackson L Penalty F Absolute Division
2018 BOA Super 8 Roberto Frias W Heel Hook 4F Absolute Division
2018  Kasai Pro 2 Michael Perez L Points RR Middleweight
2018 Kasai Pro 2 Richie Martinez W Inside Heel Hook 3RD Middleweight
2018 Kasai Pro 2 Nick Calvanese W Triangle RR Middleweight
2018  Kasai Pro 2 Dante Leon W Points RR Middleweight
2018 Quintet 1 Sergei Grecicho D N/A - Draw RR Middleweight
2018 Quintet 1 Mindas Verzbickas W Leg Lock RR Middleweight
2018 Quintet 1 Marcous Souza W Leg Lock RR Middleweight
2018 Polaris 6 Jake Shields W Inside Heel Hook SPF Middleweight
2017 World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship C. Negromonte L Points 4F 85 kg
2017 Kasai Pro Murilo Santana L Penalty SPF  ABS
2017 EBI 14 Marcel Goncalves W Inside Heel Hook 4F Absolute Division
2017 EBI 14 Andy Burke W Inside Heel Hook R1 Absolute Division
2017 EBI 14 Gordon Ryan L OT 4F Absolute Division
2017 EBI 14 Anthony Johnson W Inside Heel Hook NA Absolute Division
2017 Bao Super 8 Roberto Frias W Heel Hook 4F ABS
2017 Chael Sonnen Presents Submission Underground 5 Ben Egli W Heel Hook SPF  88 kg
2017 ADCC World Championships Leandro Lo W RNC E1 88 kg
2017 ADCC World Championships Gordon Ryan L Arm Triangle Choke 4F Absolute Division
2017 ADCC World Championships Chael Sonnen W Outside Heel Hook E1 Absolute Division
2017 ADCC World Championships Alexandre Ribeiro L Points 3RD 88kgs
2017 ADCC World Championships Keenan Cornelius L Points SF 88kgs
2017 ADCC World Championships Murilo Santana W Triangle 4F 88kgs
2017 Chael Sonnen Presents Submission Underground 4 Micah Brakefield W RNC SPF  NA
2017 EBI 11 Darragh O'Conaill W Knee Bar  4F 77 kg
2017 EBI 11 Nathan Orchard W Inside Heel Hook R1 77 kg
2017 EBI 11 Vagner Rocha L OT SF 77 kg
2015 ADCC World Championships R. Barral L Kimura NA NA

7. Craig Jones’s Top Fights Links

Craig Jones vs. Roberto Jimenez

Chael Sonnen VS Craig Jones 2017 ADCC Championship

Craig Jones VS Xande Ribeiro 2017 ADCC Championship

Craig Jones vs Mason Fowler - 2019 ADCC

CRAIG JONES VS MASON FOWLER

CRAIG JONES VERSUS GILBERT


Photo credit: @craigjonesbjj

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