The second edition of the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI 2) is just a matter of weeks away and as the excitement builds, fans are naturally picking out their favorite potential matches. That’s natural for any tournament of course, but the Quintet format makes things extra interesting by allowing for matchups across weight classes that you might not see anywhere else. That’s been amplified by the million-dollar prize on the line, as most of the best grapplers in the world have joined the CJI 2 lineup. There’s 8 teams of 5 competitors each and fans are going to see anywhere from 35 to 63 matches between them, but here are the 5 that we’re looking forward to the most.
5 Matches We’d Love To See At CJI 2
Obviously there’s plenty of interesting matchups between competitors who normally inhabit the same weight class, but we’ve focused more on those that we’re unlikely to see elsewhere. The same applies to rematches too, as many of these competitors have faced each other before and one of both of them will be eager to run it back. Although a lot of these rematches will be interesting and entertaining, we’ve focused on completely new pairings that we’ve never seem before. There’s no telling just how likely it is that any of these matches happen of course, but that’s the beauty of the Quintet format.
Fabricio Andrey vs Pat Downey
Fabricio Andrey was one of the best selections for the under 66kg division because he hunts for submissions and he does exceptionally well in absolute matches. A big part of his success comes from his willingness to stand with bigger opponents and his ability to win those exchanges, but Pat Downey would put him to the test in that area. He’s an aggressive wrestler and it would be interesting to see how Andrey fares against him on the feet, and what Downey does against an opponent he probably won’t be able to control on the ground.
Diego ‘Pato’ Oliveira vs PJ Barch
PJ Barch is probably the best counter-leglocker in the sport right now, and he has proven this in competition multiple times during his career. The CJI 2 ruleset should actually drive action like that in his matches too, because his opponents will be encouraged to take more risks when hunting for the finish and he’ll be pushed to take more risks when countering. With Diego ‘Pato’ Oliveira, he doesn’t need any kind of incentive to throw everything at his opponents and he’s an incredible leglocker capable of beating bigger opponents. A match between the two of them should produce some crazy exchanges and both men will be keeping up a very high pace.
Nicky Rodriguez vs Mica Galvao
Nicky Rodriguez has already faced the majority of the bigger opponents he might come across at CJI 2 and as one of the most athletic heavyweights in the world, he’ll be way too much for most lighter competitors to handle. There aren’t many men out there who can handle the pace and strength that Rodriguez has, but Mica Galvao might be one of them. He has an incredible Jiu-Jitsu in all areas and probably the best armbars in the world, but Rodriguez is a tactical genius with some of the best armbar escapes in the world. It’ll be interesting to see who comes out on top when they play that battle, or if Rodriguez can stifle Galvao and avoid it altogether.
Felipe Pena vs Dante Leon
Dante Leon had an incredible run in the ADCC 2024 absolute division, beating both the champion in his weight class and the one from the weight class above him. He also faced the under 99kg champion Kaynan Duarte and although he didn’t win, he was the only person Duarte couldn’t submit. Taking that a step further, Felipe Pena won the heaviest weight class and would be just as tough of an opponent. Leon’s biggest strength is that he’s well-rounded, so he can beat Pena if he can take the match to where he’s weakest, but Pena’s guard is notoriously tricky.
Giancarlo Bodoni vs Victor Hugo
Giancarlo Bodoni has great wrestling and excellent guard-passing, which he’s used to great effect during his two ADCC title-runs. He can shut down pretty much everyone in the world at his weight and many bigger competitors too, but Victor Hugo probably has the best guard in the heavyweight division. The interesting element of this match is that their strengths actually play directly into each other, and Bodoni will likely take top position while Hugo plays guard. From there, fans will get to see how Bodoni deals with an elite guard-player even when he’s at a significant size and strength disadvantage.
