"Getting all the gayness beaten out of him” - Fans react to BJJ veteran Craig Jones’ MMA sparring footage with Alex Volkanovski

Alex Volkanovski began working with Brazilian jiu-jitsu wizard Craig Jones prior to his clash with Brian Ortega at UFC 266 in 2021. While the pair mostly trained together in the grappling realm of mixed martial arts (MMA), they have also shared the odd kickboxing sparring session.

Footage of one such session, taken during Volkanovski's appearance as a coach alongside Ortega on season 29 of The Ultimate Fighter, was recently uploaded to Jones' Instagram.

Both men found the situation hilarious, as did fans online, who enjoyed the video immensely.

Jones looked slightly like a fish out of water and, after entertaining the striking exchanges for several minutes, saw an opportunity to take 'The Great' down and kept the fight on the ground for the remainder of the round.

See Craig Jones sparring with Alex Volkanovski below:

Several fans reacted by referencing the submission grappler's constant self-deprication about Brazilian jiu-jitsu being a "gay" sport, with @super_smesh_bros writing this:

"My man Craig getting all the gayness beaten out of him from all the jiu-jitsu."

Another fan wrote:

"Craig looks extra gay in this one."

See the fan reactions below:

Screenshot fan reactions to Jones and Volkanovski's sparring vdeio

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Who's taking part in the Craig Jones Invitational?

The Craig Jones Invitational (CJI), has shaken up the world of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, as some of the sport's best athletes have opted out of competing at the most presitgious no-gi BJJ event in favor of the CJI.

The Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) World Championships usually showcase the best talent in no-gi BJJ. However, Jones, a former 2x ADCC silver medalist, announced earlier this year that he wouldn't be competing at ADCC 2024 due to lack of reasonable financial compensation.

The Australian claimed that since 2015 the prize money for winning ADCC had remained the same - $10,000. Instead, Jones created his own grappling tournament, the CJI, which will have two weight categories with the winner of each receiving a whopping $1 million prize.

The competition will feature a -80 kilogram and +80 kilogram division, and the brackets are now full, with sixteen athletes in each. Alongside that, there will be two super fights, featuring Jones vs. Gabi Garcia and Ffion Davis vs. Mackenzie Dern.

See the -80 kilogram division below:

See the +80 kilogram division below at the Craig Jones Invitational below:

Screenshot of the +80 kilogram division of the CJI