ATOS have just become the latest team confirmed for the second Craig Jones Invitational (CJI 2) and they have also revealed that their first competitor will be their wildcard option, Felipe Pena. He will be taking up their heaviest position available on the roster, as Pena is their over 99kg entrant. This also means that the lineup of CJI 2 teams is almost complete, as ATOS is the 7th team to be announced and there is only position remaining. There are still plenty more surprises to come though, with the majority of competitors still yet to be confirmed and the potential for more superfights too.
It’s a huge announcement for several reasons, but mainly because ATOS is one of the most successful no gi teams in the world. They have no shortage of options for each weight class either, even before bringing in Pena to help improve their chances. The obvious choice for their under 99kg competitor is Kaynan Duarte, while Tye Ruotolo and Kade Ruotolo would be their most likely choices at under 88kg and under 77kg respectively. If any of those athletes can’t make it for whatever reason; they also have Lucas ‘Hulk’ Barbosa, Ronaldo Junior, Josh Hinger, and Andy Murasaki as excellent alternatives as well.
ATOS have an incredibly deep roster of talent in the middle three weight classes and with Felipe Pena taking the heaviest weight class, there’s only one other spot at CJI 2. Their choice in the under 66kg weight class is a little tougher to predict, but Everton Teixeira is an excellent option. He would be one of the smaller competitors available though, so ATOS may end up going with An Vu or Joao Mendes instead if they’re able to make the weight limit. No matter who they end up choosing, it’s clear that ATOS will be one of the top contenders in the tournament.
The interview with Felipe Pena where ATOS is also confirmed for CJI 2 was uploaded to the official YouTube channel of B-Team Jiu-Jitsu:
