3 best moments from the first-ever Craig Jones Invitational
By Amy Kaplan
Two days of grappling took place at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas for the first-ever Craig Jones Invitational. FanSided MMA was there stage side for all the action. The event was a huge success by all standards and packed to the brim with fans, grappling, and MMA celebrities and everyone was on their feet. Here are three moments that stood out for us over the two-day event. What was your favorite moment?
1. Craig Jones' walkout for his match with Gabi Garcia
Craig Jones, the man behind the whole event, stole the show with his walk-out ahead of his match with Gabi Garcia. Jones, wearing a vest and camop pants hopped up on the alley ledge, chugged from a bottle of liquor and then proceeded to undress as he made his way to his perch. The moment was funny and so on brand for Jones. It was the perfect moment and everyone was talking about it.
2. Literally everything Nicky Rod did
Nicky Rodriguez was the over 80kg champion of the event and it's easy to see why. The superior grappler finished all four of his opponents, a feat that no one else was able to accomlish and frankly, he made it look easy. His meditation between rounds, his cool, calm collected demeanor throughout cumulated in a wild finish and $1 million. We caught up with Nicky backstage moments after the win and he was on cloud nine.
3. The insane match between Kade Ruotolo and Andrew Tackett
Somebody pay Kade Ruotolo and Andrew Tackett to fight everyday. That was the best jiujitsu match I’ve ever seen. Holy shit I lost my voice. pic.twitter.com/nzKworyhsM
— Jamie Kilstein (@jamiekilstein) August 18, 2024
One of the best live grappling matches I have ever seen took place during the semifinals of the under 80kg category. Kade Ruotolo and Andrew Tackett battled it out over three incredibly close and exciting rounds. It was Ruotolo who would eventually advance and win the tournament but he didn't advance easily. Tackett was looking to be the upset of the night but in the third round, Ruotolo was able to squeeze out the decision victory.
Overall, this event was awesome and really an incredible moment for grappling. We hope that Craig Jones keeps this up and these events keep happening because I'm a fan and I won't want to miss it.
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