Craig Jones has taken aim at ADCC organizers following their announcement of increased prize purses, calling out a glaring disparity.
The enhancement applies only to male competitors while official channels remain conspicuously silent on the controversial Izaak Michell situation.
The ADCC World Championship revealed the elevated compensation structure. However the announcement makes no mention of corresponding increases for female athletes, prompting Jones to publicly challenge the organization on social media.
“At least I forced Mo to pay the women equal,”
“Ya’ll must of forgot.”
These prizes don’t even scratch the surface for BJJ competitors living in US, UK and Australia. As Ffion Davies and Renzo Gracie previously pointed out – the biggest names in BJJ can earn more than this grand prize in a weekend doing just seminars.
The timing of Jones’s criticism carries particular weight given the ongoing silence from ADCC regarding Michell, the Australian grappler who qualified for ADCC 2026 in Poland by winning the Asia Trials in the 170 lbs (77 kg) division. Michell now faces serious allegations from multiple women and an active warrant in Texas, where he has been placed on Hays County’s Top 12 Fugitives list with authorities offering up to $1000 for information leading to his apprehension.
It has been revealed that Michell has allegedly assaulted more than a dozen women.
Jones has been vocal about wanting Michell extradited out of Australia to face charges in Texas.
Jones escalated his ultimatum dramatically, posting:
“But if you don’t remove that extradition dodging offender within 48 hours, @cjiofficial 3 will be on the same weekend and location.”
The threat to schedule his competing Craig Jones Invitational event directly against ADCC represents a significant challenge to the established tournament’s dominance in the grappling world.
While official ADCC accounts have maintained their silence, former ADCC promoter Mo Jassim addressed the Michell controversy after receiving numerous inquiries. Jassim outlined the organization’s historical precedent, noting that competitors who have been convicted of offenses, served their sentences and subsequently returned to competition.
“Another thing to remember is Izaak is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law and has a right to defend himself,”
However Jassim distinguished between different scenarios. If Michell appears in court to address the second-degree felony charge, the legal outcome would determine his competitive eligibility. But Jassim made clear that continued avoidance of the justice system would warrant different action.
“The second option is if he avoids court appearances and becomes a fugitive. This would be a different situation and my opinion and my recommendation would be a remove him and give the spot to the 2nd trials winner which would be Kenta,”
Among those who have come forward is Hannah Griffith, an IBJJF No-Gi World Champion and three-time Pan No-Gi gold medalist.
A second woman, Ariel De Haro, a real estate professional from Austin Texas, also came forward with similar allegations, clarifying she has no connection to the BJJ community but felt compelled to speak out.
Craig Jones previously Confirmed More Than A Dozen Women Were Allegedly Assaulted by Izaak Michell.
Despite the gravity of the allegations and the active warrant, official ADCC channels have not issued a public statement. BJJDOC reached out to ADCC for comment regarding Michell’s eligibility for the 2026 event in Poland but received no response. Similarly Mateusz Łuckiewicz, head of the ADCC Poland marketing team, did not provide a statement when contacted.
Hays County has asked anyone with information regarding Michell or his whereabouts to contact them anonymously at 1-800-324-TIPS 8477, submit tips online or use the P3 Tips app.
