Craig Jones had a peculiar approach when facing off against Gabi Garcia, and he’s now facing off against heaps of controversy and reprimand from the netizens.
The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu star is set to compete against his compatriot at the upcoming The Craig Jones Invitational this week, which will go shoulder-to-shoulder against the the 2024 ADCC World Championship. Each winner is set to bag $1 million.
Netizens react to Craig Jones’ bizarre move during Gabi Garcia faceoff
Before the tournament commences, the faceoff between Jones and Garcia, who are set to compete in an intergender grappling match, made headlines after the bizarre gesture performed by Jones. The fighter kissed Garcia during the faceoff and left the towering 6-foot-2-inch female fighter visibly irate, who said that Jones had “crossed the line”.
😳 💋 Craig Jones kissed Gabi Garcia at the weigh ins and pissed her off:
"You crossed the line!" pic.twitter.com/m2WzURIevQ
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) August 15, 2024
The video has generated much agitation on social media, as many fans are stating that Jones’ gesture was out of line, while some even accusing the fighter of sexual assault.
This is not funny. This is sexual assault.
— Javid Ahmadi (@JavidSnu) August 16, 2024
Buddy needs to be taught a lesson.
— American Exceptionihilism (@dark_gone) August 15, 2024
This is fucking insane, what was craig thinking
— Ruflon (@RuflonMMA) August 15, 2024
Jones himself shared the clip on his Instagram, stating that the Brazilians don’t have a sense of humour.
View this post on Instagram
One of the top grappling stars on the planet, Craig Jones has been the coach of some of the best names in MMA – Alexander Volkanovski, Dan Hooker, and Israel Adesanya. In his submission grappling career, Jones has submitted the likes of Donald Cerrone and Gerald Meerschaert. This year itself, Jones has secured wins over Phil Rowe, Rafael Lovato Jr., and Rinat Fakhretdinov.
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