Craig Jones

Based on the page you are viewing, here is a clean, professional profile and biography for the elite Australian submission grappler and B-Team co-founder, Craig Jones:Craig JonesQuick ProfileFull Name: Craig Benjamin JonesLineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Carlos Gracie Jr > Jean Jacques Machado / Rigan Machado > John Will > John Simon > Lachlan Giles > Craig JonesWeight Division: Meio Pesado (88.30 kg / 195.0 lbs)Team / Association: Absolute MMA / B-TeamFavorite Position/Technique: Open Guard / Leg LocksBiographyBorn on July 17, 1991, in Adelaide, South Australia, Craig Jones is widely recognized as one of the premier submission grapplers of his generation. Growing up, Craig was highly active, competing in intensive team sports like Australian rules football and basketball, alongside brief stints in traditional martial arts like Taekwondo and Judo. By age 15, his competitive drive evolved into a dream of fighting in the UFC.To build a foundational ground game for MMA, Craig joined his cousin Matt Jones’ Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy, ISOHEALTH, in 2006. He rapidly climbed the ranks of the Australian national grappling circuit before relocating to Melbourne as a purple belt to join the Maromba Academy (later renamed Absolute MMA), where he fell under the world-class tutelage of Lachlan Giles. Under Giles’ guidance, Jones reached the international elite, winning the IBJJF World No-Gi Championship as a purple belt in 2015 and earning his black belt in late 2016. Alongside his rigorous training schedule, Craig also successfully graduated from university with a degree in Behavioural Science (Psychology).Craig shocked the submission grappling world at the 2017 ADCC World Championships. Entering as a relatively unknown underdog, he submitted the tournament’s top seed, the late legendary Leandro Lo, via rear-naked choke, and subsequently submitted Murilo Santana. This breakout performance led him to relocate to New York City to cross-train extensively with coach John Danaher at the Renzo Gracie Academy, becoming a foundational member of the dominant “Danaher Death Squad” (DDS).Following the highly publicized dissolution of the DDS in July 2021 due to geographic and interpersonal tensions, Craig teamed up with fellow competitors Nicky Ryan, Ethan Crelinsten, and Nicky Rodriguez to establish the B-Team. Setting up their headquarters in Austin, Texas, the collective quickly became one of the most popular and prominent submission grappling hubs in the world. Known for his witty, subversive media presence, dangerous leg-lock systems, and high submission finish rate, Craig continues to shape modern No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu both as a competitor and a coach.Main Achievements (Black Belt)1st Place — Polaris 205 lbs Champion (2018)1st Place — Polaris 185 lbs Champion (2018 / 2019)2nd Place — ADCC World Championship (2019 / 2022)3rd Place — EBI 11 Invitational (2017)3rd Place — Kasai 2 185lbs Grand Prix (2018)3rd Place — Kasai 5 205lbs Grand Prix (2019)Main Achievements (Colored Belts)1st Place — IBJJF World Championship No-Gi (2015 purple)1st Place — AFBJJ Pan Pacific Championship (2014 purple)1st Place — ADCC Asian & Oceania Trials (2014 / 2016)1st Place — NAGA World Championship (2014 purple)3rd Place — UAEJJF Abu Dhabi Pro (2016 brown)* Absolute division Weight and Absolute divisionGrappling StatisticsTotal Wins: 64Submission Rate: 81% (52 victories coming via submission)Signature Finishes: Inside Heel Hooks (27%) and Rear-Naked Chokes (27%).