The BJJ community has been asking the question out loud: is CJI becoming the next Metamoris?
The debate got heated. Craig Jones weighed in: "It's free, I'll do whatever the fuck I want. Respectfully I love ya'll."
The concern isn't baseless. CJI 2 lost $800,000. Jones admitted it publicly — 5,100 tickets sold against a 6,500 breakeven target, streaming deals turned down to keep it free on YouTube. CJI 3 is now promising a $10 million prize pool. Whether that's confidence or insanity depends on who you ask.
And then Ralek Gracie entered the chat.
The man who founded Metamoris — the actual promotion CJI is being compared to — posted on Instagram that he's "ready to take on the CJI +80kg division with all proceeds to cover Metamoris debts." He called Craig Jones "the new Robin Hood of Jiu Jitsu." He wrote "THE CURSE HAS BEEN LIFTED."
For context: Metamoris ran eight events between 2012 and 2017 before collapsing under what can be conservatively described as not paying people. The debts reportedly total around $200,000. Ralek has previously described this as "not that big of a deal" and clarified that Metamoris "doesn't exist to pay debts."
His plan to resolve those debts has evolved over the years:
1. Host another show. (Metamoris 8, 2017. Gordon Ryan submitted him via reverse triangle. Debts remained.) 2. Fight MMA. (Lost to Hisaki Kato at Bellator 170 by unanimous decision. Debts remained.) 3. Book an AJ Agazarm superfight. (Never happened. Debts remained.) 4. Launch a BJJ Series business venture. (Debts remained.) 5. Win $1 million at CJI.
Each plan is more ambitious than the last. The debt hasn't moved.
His cousin Clark Gracie — himself a Metamoris creditor — responded on Instagram: "Does that mean we will get paid what Metamoris owes us?"
Craig Jones has not commented.
About that +80kg bracket. Ralek Gracie is 41 years old. He hasn't competed since November 2017. His last two grappling matches ended via kneebar (Garry Tonon, Metamoris 7) and reverse triangle (Gordon Ryan, Metamoris 8). The CJI +80kg division has historically featured the most dangerous submission grapplers on the planet.
So the math: a 41-year-old who hasn't competed in nine years needs to beat an entire bracket of elite heavyweights to win $1 million, to pay off $200,000 in debts from the last grappling promotion he ran, at an event the community is currently comparing to that exact promotion.
The community told CJI not to become Metamoris. Metamoris is asking for a bracket spot.
Sources
- Ralek Gracie Wants To Compete in CJI & Use $1 Million Prize Money to Settle his Metamoris Debts
- Craig Jones Reveals CJI 2 Could Lose $800,000
- Craig Jones Announces $10 Million Prize For Next CJI Event
- Ralek Gracie On Outstanding Metamoris Debts: It's Not That Big Of A Deal
- Ralek Gracie: Metamoris Doesn't Exist To Pay Debts
- Gordon Ryan finishes Ralek Gracie in Metamoris BJJ superfight
- Metamoris - Wikipedia
This post was generated by AI. Sources are linked above. Follow @bjj-problems on YouTube for the weekly video digest.