Elite grappler and world-renowned coach Justin Flores has just revealed that he’s been considering starting a hybrid no gi Judo tournament tentatively called the JFLO Invitational. Flores is one of the most well-rounded grapplers in the world, with a ton of experience in a range of different styles. He started out his career with Judo as a child before eventually moving to wrestling, where he was ranked nationally in the US. After being recruited to wrestle in Nebraska, Flores eventually returned to Judo and continued his competitive career by becoming a member of the US World Team and an alternate for the 2004 Olympics.
Since retiring from competition, Flores has become one of the most sought-after grappling coaches in the US. Not only has he served as the coach for the US Judo team on multiple occasions but he has also helped several top BJJ competitors like Keenan Cornelius and PJ Barch, among many others. Although Flores is one of the best coaches in the world when it comes to grappling, he’s also worked with a number of elite MMA fighters as well. Flores has worked as a grappling coach for a number of top UFC fighters like Ronda Rousey and plenty of them still seek him out now.
It’s clear to see where Flores got the idea for his hybrid no gi Judo tournament from as well, as he was one of the judges working at the inaugural Craig Jones Invitational. Justin Flores even referenced the tournament in the social media post he made announcing his thoughts about a JFLO Invitational. As it’s still very early days it’s impossible to guess exactly what the ruleset will consist of, but Flores has already dropped a few hints in the comments on that post. He confirmed that there would be ippons involved and he was also asked about was the possibility of using a pit like the Craig Jones Invitational did, and he very positive about that idea:
“I believe (Dollamur Martial Arts) can make that happen.”
Naturally the announcement drew a lot of attention from competitors as well, and there were a number of elite grapplers who immediately threw their hat in the ring. Some of them, like Pat Downey and Owen Livesey, should come as no surprise at all given their love of standing grappling. Even without any real information announced about the tournament yet, there are plenty of big names showing early interest. Even the reigning CJI over 80kg champion Nicky Rodriguez said it ‘could be fun’, and if Flores is able to make his dream a reality then he’ll have no shortage of BJJ, Judo, and wrestling veterans lining up to compete.
Justin Flores announced that he was considering putting together a hybrid no gi Judo tournament called the JFLO Invitational in a recent post to his official Instagram account:
