Gordon Ryan slams arch-rival Craig Jones and addresses speculation about competing at CJI 2: “Let’s set the record straight"

Gordon Ryan's Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) team, New Wave Jiu Jitsu, has been confirmed as the first team set to compete at the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI) 2 in August 2025. The tournament, founded by his namesake, will see eight BJJ teams from across the world compete for $1 million.

After Jones confirmed that New Wave Jiu Jitsu would feature at CJI 2, speculation surrounding Ryan's involvement began to sprout. Jones and 'The King' once formed part of the deadliest team in the sport, the Danaher Death Squad, headed by coach John Danaher.

But the team split in 2021 due to several factors, with Ryan and Danaher remaining together, while Jones left and began his own team, B-Team Jiu Jitsu. The rivalry between the two teams has only increased over the years, as has the beef between Ryan and Jones.

Following the CJI founder's announcement that New Wave Jiu Jitsu would compete at the tournament, 'The King' took to Instagram to address his potential participation. He wrote:

"Just so everyone can stop speculating, and so [B-team] can stop using my name (the only name) to promote their s**tty event where winning athletes are taking a roughly 80% pay cut from the 1st event, let's set the record straight. I was never invited to CJI 1, which made a little sense financially. Our team was invited to CJI 2, where I would be making less to win than I do to even show at other events. Moreover, if the prize was [$10 billion], on principle I'd rather take a shotgun blast to the face than compete. Good luck coming close to breaking even without me."

Check out Gordon Ryan's post below:

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Gordon Ryan declares that New Wave Jiu Jitsu "run" the heavyweight division of the sport

Gordon Ryan is largely considered the greatest no-gi Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner of all-time. His unbeaten streak stretches back to 2018, and alongside that, he holds numerous records in the sport.

He competes in the heavyweight division, alongside several teammates at New Wave Jiu Jitsu. 'The King' recently posted the top 10 ranked heavyweight athletes in submission grappling according to FloGrappling, where four New Wave Jiu Jitsu athletes were featured.

Ryan declared their team as the sport's rulers, writing:

"Fun fact- 4/10 of the top 10 guys are our guys. The other 6/10, I've beaten. We run this division."

Check out Gordon Ryan's post below: