\n<\/p>\n
Ben Kovacs, general manager of FloGrappling and founder of the Guardian Jiu-Jitsu Foundation, didn\u2019t shy away from discussing the fallout of the 2024 Craig Jones Invitational and its ripple effects on both ADCC and his own platform.<\/strong><\/p>\n Here is what he had to say in a recent episode of the Jits and Giggles podcast:<\/p>\n Speaking candidly, what happened in 2024 with CJI and ADCC was horrible for Flo, right? And for ADCC that year, right?<\/p>\n I mean, CJI 1 obviously pulled a lot of athletes away from ADCC. This was well before I joined Flo, to be clear. I wasn\u2019t around during that time. Kovacs pointed to a lasting shift in athlete pay expectations as one of the more persistent effects, after Jones paid competitors well above market rate and many never adjusted their expectations afterward:<\/p>\n It works like a ratchet where they got paid this money one time and now they\u2019re like, this is my new price. And I paid obviously way more money than I needed to, to get you to compete, to kind of make a point. He also noted that gratitude hasn\u2019t always matched the financial gain:<\/p>\n I definitely don\u2019t think that everyone is maybe as appreciative of it as he thought they would be, or remembers that long term. Even with the disruption, Kovacs gave Jones credit for expanding the sport\u2019s visibility well beyond its usual audience:<\/p>\n Craig\u2019s unique, and he\u2019s done a lot of things. I guess the thing that he\u2019s done right is he\u2019s brought just a lot of attention, including sort of outside attention, onto the sport.<\/p>\n He starts a lot of conversations. He keeps the attention on the sport. \n \ud83d\udca5 What if slowing down was the fastest way to win?<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcad Tired of Getting Smashed by Younger, Stronger Grapplers?<\/p>\n It\u2019s not your age. It\u2019s your strategy.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a passionate grappler over 35 who\u2019s sick of getting outpaced, outmuscled, or out-cardio\u2019d by opponents half your age \u2014 this 120 page e-book<\/strong> was made for you.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udd13 Unlock the Power of Sloth Jiu-Jitsu:<\/p>\n \n Tired of waking up sore and burnt out after lifting?
But yeah, there\u2019s no doubt that that was like a hugely painful time where it made it more difficult for ADCC and more difficult for Flo as the streaming partner of the event.<\/p>\n
Well, dude, I did like a one time, two time charity event.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t hold that against me and don\u2019t be difficult to work with for all these other companies.<\/p>\n
Short memories, and they get that money and then they\u2019re like, great, when\u2019s the next event, you know?<\/p>\n
So I think that\u2019s probably his superpower, the promotional side of what he does.<\/p>\nSloth Jiu-Jitsu: The Ultimate Guide for Calmly Beating Bigger, Younger Opponents <\/h2>\n
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