#950 - Craig Jones - Drugged In Colombia, Escaping Jail & Defeating UFC Wrestling

Overview

Craig Jones shares wild stories from his global adventures, including encounters with Pablo Escobar's sister, cultural rituals in Ethiopia, and his experiences in the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). He also discusses the evolution of grappling, his plans for the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI), and his thoughts on the future of combat sports.

Notable Quotes

- Imagine if you spent your whole life dedicated to an art where the goal was to take the other person down, but you never spent any time thinking what you'd do if the fight continued on the ground. - Craig Jones, critiquing wrestling's limitations.

- I gave a guy an existential crisis with ketamine in the Ethiopian desert. He quit cooking and went back to goat herding. - Craig Jones, on his surreal campfire experience.

- Losing is just a marketing pivot. It's not winning or losing that matters; it's how you sell that loss. - Craig Jones, on leveraging defeat in combat sports.

🌍 Adventures in Colombia

- Craig recounts a chaotic five-week stint in Colombia, including meeting Pablo Escobar's sister after a controversial Instagram post.

- He describes being drugged with scopolamine, a substance known as devil's breath, which left him incapacitated but still able to recall his banking details—a surreal experience captured on security footage.

- His escapades included partying with stem cells in his assistant's neck and navigating Medellín's nightlife.

🛡️ Ethiopian Tribes and Cultural Shock

- Craig visited Ethiopia as part of a charity initiative, witnessing extreme poverty and tribal rituals.

- He describes a whipping ceremony where women endure physical pain to prove resilience, and genital mutilation practices aimed at enforcing chastity—both deeply disturbing cultural traditions.

- Craig also shared a bizarre ketamine experience with a local goat herder, leading to the man abandoning his new cooking job to return to his ancestral roots.

🥋 Evolution of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

- Craig discusses the tactical trends in BJJ, including the rise of heel hooks and innovations like Backside 50-50 guard.

- He critiques the reliance on static drilling in traditional coaching, advocating for problem-solving through positional sparring.

- He highlights the importance of confidence in combat sports, noting that underconfidence often leads to defeat.

🎪 Craig Jones Invitational (CJI) Updates

- The upcoming CJI 2 will feature a team-based format inspired by Quintet, with last man standing dynamics and surprise entries.

- Teams will include powerhouse names like Atos, New Wave, and B Team, alongside region-based squads from Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

- Craig plans to compete against Olympic gold medalist wrestler Gable Stevenson, leveraging his grappling expertise against Stevenson's wrestling dominance.

💼 Combat Sports and Business

- Craig reveals his partnership with Flow Grappling, aiming to prevent monopolization in the sport and ensure fair pay for athletes.

- He emphasizes the importance of storytelling in making grappling exciting, drawing inspiration from WWE and Pride FC's theatrical elements.

- Craig envisions growing CJI into a platform that balances spectacle, athlete compensation, and accessibility for fans.