Men's jiu-jitsu star Craig Jones entered his wrestling match with Brazilian legend Gabi Garcia with much controversy after forcibly kissing her during a pre-fight promo on Saturday night.
Jones ended up choking Garcia in a second-round submission in the sport's first “intergender” fight at the Craig Jones Invitational in Las Vegas.
Jones, an Australian fighter who trains with UFC stars including Israel Adesanya, was dominant over Garcia in the short time they were in the ring together.
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Gabi Garcia enters the ring before the fight against Barbara Nepomuceno at Saitama Super Arena on December 31, 2018 in Saitama, Japan. (Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
However, Garcia gave him a good fight, especially after surviving the first round. The 1.88-meter tall Brazilian is considered one of the best jiu-jitsu fighters in the world, having won the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship four times, as well as being a six-time IBJJF world champion.
However, the end result was that Garcia finally gave up in the second round. Jones and Garcia respectfully greeted each other before waving to the crowd.
There were fears this fight had been called off at one point after Jones grabbed Garcia's face and kissed her in front of cameras in a promo on Thursday, angering the Brazilian.
Garcia pushed Jones, who ran away from her, and she began swearing as he walked away.
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“Dude, you're a bastard. Craig, really? Fuck you. You've crossed the line,” Garcia can be heard saying in the video, while also hurling insults at Jones in Portuguese.
Jones shared a video of the incident on his Instagram and captioned it: “The fight is off. I guess Brazilians don't know how to take a joke.” He would later say that the fight had resumed.
The fight did not involve any punches, as the two just wrestled in the ring. But despite it being Jones' event, he was booed when he defeated Garcia.
Garcia later posted a photo of herself and Jones hugging after the match, expressing her “gratitude and love” for the Australian.
Craig Jones reacts after his submission victory against Rafael Lovato Jr. during the UFC Fight Pass Invitational 6 at UFC APEX on March 3, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
“This month [sic] “You worked hard and changed the sport!” Garcia wrote. “I hope someday people get a chance to meet you! You are an amazing person! Genuine! Funny and now one of my best friends! I'm proud of you!”
“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to [make] “One more dream come true!”
Garcia said she wanted to cry after her loss, but it wasn't from disappointment.
“I want to cry because I see all this,” she told the Daily Mail. “Guys, thank you all for coming here.
“I think our sport can be bigger than ever and I won this game today because everyone can say 'it's a joke' or disagree. I call it self-respect because I do what I want and I don't care about anything.”
Craig Jones is preparing to face Rafael Lovato Jr. at UFC APEX on March 3, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
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Jones noted that the first day of the Craig Jones Invitational received 1.2 million views on YouTube, indicating the success of the event even with the pre-fight controversy.
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