The ongoing saga of exclusivity in UFC BJJ contracts has taken another turn, as Ffion Davies just revealed that at least her contract does actually include an exemption that allows her to compete in CJI 2. Davies stopped short of confirming whether she’s actually interested in being a part of the event but she did reference the women competing as ‘them’, which seems to imply that she isn’t going to be one of them. Davies was a key part of the inaugural Craig Jones Invitational last year, as she took part in and won the only women’s match of the whole event.
There wasn’t any women’s division announced for the CJI 2 lineup at first and Ffion Davies alleges that she was explicitly told there wasn’t going to be one. Things changed though of course, as Jones did eventually reveal a $100,000 grand prize for a four-woman bracket. This came as a bit of a surprise for most fans and Davies’ claim that she was equally surprised also sheds a bit more light on her recent comments, where she said that the promotion ‘is being bullied into putting a woman’s division on’. Regardless, the women’s division is going ahead at CJI 2 now and Jones has even begun signing up competitors for it, with Helena Crevar being the first athlete confirmed.
Prior to that division being announced, news emerged that Davies had signed an exclusive contract with the UFC. Given that the UFC has a long history of monopolising combat sports and doing anything they can to destroy the competition, most people assumed that any UFC BJJ contract wouldn’t include the same exemptions that ONE Championship have been known to give their athletes for other major events. The revelation that Davies may actually have an exemption to compete at CJI 2 if she chooses to do so should come as good news for fans of the sport and competitors alike, as it changes the game.
Not only does this mean that some of the common criticisms for exclusive contracts may not apply to competitors in UFC BJJ events, but it also means that there is room for negotiation. Anyone who might sign an exclusive contract with them can now take this information and use it to push for the same exemptions. Davies choosing to clear the air on this could be very beneficial in the long run, even if she personally doesn’t choose to take advantage of the exemption. All hope is not lost for fans of CJI 2 though, as there’s still three spaces in the women’s tournament and Jones is clearly good at tempting competitors to join his events.
Ffion Davies shared the news that her UFC BJJ contract still allows her to compete at CJI 2 in a recent story to her official Instagram account:
Davies later shared another story with a tongue-in-cheek comment referencing how much simpler competing in the gi is:
