Craig Jones has become one of the most recognizable figures in modern Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). The Australian submission grappler is admired for his technical ability, impressive tournament performances, and personality that rarely goes unnoticed. Whether he’s competing against elite athletes, teaching advanced techniques, or challenging the way professional grappling operates, Jones has consistently found ways to make an impact.
His journey began in Adelaide, Australia, where a teenage interest in mixed martial arts eventually developed into a professional grappling career. Years of dedicated training brought him international recognition, including silver medals at the ADCC World Championship and multiple Polaris titles.
However, competition is only part of his story. Jones trained with respected coaches such as Lachlan Giles and John Danaher, helped establish B-Team Jiu-Jitsu, and later launched the Craig Jones Invitational to create new opportunities for professional grapplers.
This Craig Jones biography explores his age, family background, education, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu career, major achievements, personal life, and lasting influence on the sport.
Craig Jones Quick Bio Information
| Personal Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Craig Benjamin Jones |
| Popular Name | Craig Jones |
| Date of Birth | July 17, 1991 |
| Age in 2026 | 35 Years Old |
| Birthplace | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Profession | Submission Grappler, Instructor, and Event Promoter |
| Martial Arts Discipline | Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
| Belt Rank | Black Belt |
| Black Belt Instructor | Lachlan Giles |
| First BJJ Instructor | Matt Jones |
| Former Team | Danaher Death Squad |
| Known Team Association | B-Team Jiu-Jitsu |
| Previous Academy | Absolute MMA |
| ADCC Achievements | Silver Medals in 2019 and 2022 |
| Other Major Titles | Polaris Championships |
| Education | Behavioural Science (Psychology) |
| Grappling Specialty | Open Guard and Leg Locks |
| Notable Project | Craig Jones Invitational |
| Professional Recognition | International No-Gi Grappling Competitor |
Who Is Craig Jones?
Craig Benjamin Jones is an Australian Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, professional submission grappler, instructor, and event organizer. He first attracted widespread international attention in 2017 after submitting Brazilian champion Leandro Lo at the prestigious ADCC World Championship.
Born and raised in Adelaide, Jones began learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu during his teenage years. His early training eventually led him to Melbourne, where he developed his skills under Lachlan Giles at Absolute MMA.
After earning his black belt in 2016, Jones continued building his reputation through international competitions. He later trained extensively with John Danaher and became associated with the famous Danaher Death Squad.
Today, his reputation extends well beyond competitive results. Through coaching, instructional programs, grappling events, and his distinctive public personality, Jones has become an influential voice in professional submission grappling.
Craig Jones Age, Birthday, and Birthplace
Craig Jones was born on July 17, 1991, in Adelaide, South Australia. As of November 2026, he is 35 years old.
Adelaide played an important role in shaping his early interests. Growing up in Australia, Jones had access to several competitive sports, which helped him develop an appreciation for physical challenges long before he became a professional grappler.
His rise is particularly interesting because he didn’t begin his career in one of the traditional international centers of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Instead, he developed his foundation in Australia’s growing martial arts community before eventually training and competing overseas.
Although his career has taken him around the world, his Australian roots remain an important part of his identity. His success has also helped bring greater international attention to Australian submission grappling.
Craig Jones Early Life and Family Background
Long before Craig Jones became known for his submission skills, he was an energetic youngster who enjoyed competitive sports. Australian rules football and basketball were among his early interests, while taekwondo and judo gave him an introduction to martial arts.
Those experiences helped him become comfortable with physical competition. More importantly, they encouraged an interest in testing his abilities against other athletes.
During his teenage years, Jones became fascinated by mixed martial arts. Like many young fighters, he watched the Ultimate Fighting Championship and imagined eventually competing inside the Octagon.
His cousin, Matt Jones, helped turn that interest into practical training. Matt operated a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy called ISOHEALTH, where Craig began learning the fundamentals of grappling.
While his cousin’s influence is well documented, Craig has shared relatively little verified information about his parents, siblings, and wider family. Most public accounts of his early life focus on his athletic development rather than his private family relationships.
Craig Jones Education and Academic Background
One of the lesser-known details about Craig Jones is his academic background. Alongside his growing interest in martial arts, he completed a degree in Behavioural Science with a focus on psychology.
Balancing education with competitive training requires commitment, particularly for an athlete hoping to compete internationally. Jones managed to pursue both interests during the early stages of his career.
Behavioural Science explores how people think, behave, and make decisions. These subjects have obvious connections to everyday life and can also be relevant to competitive environments.
Still, it would be misleading to suggest that his academic qualifications directly explain his grappling success. His achievements on the mat developed through years of technical instruction, training, and competition.
Nevertheless, his educational background adds another dimension to his biography and shows that his interests have never been limited entirely to martial arts.
How Craig Jones Started Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Craig Jones began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 2006, when he was approximately 15 years old. At the time, his main ambition was to become a mixed martial arts fighter.
He joined his cousin Matt Jones at ISOHEALTH, where he learned the basics of controlling opponents, escaping difficult positions, and applying submissions.
What started as preparation for MMA gradually became something more important. Jones discovered that he enjoyed the technical challenges of grappling and began concentrating on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitions.
As he gained experience, he entered tournaments across Australia. Competing against different opponents helped him understand the importance of adapting his techniques rather than relying on a single approach.
His progress eventually took him to Melbourne, where he joined Maromba Academy, later associated with Absolute MMA.
The move marked a turning point. Training in a more competitive environment introduced him to advanced techniques and provided the coaching support needed to pursue international success.
Craig Jones Training Under Lachlan Giles
Lachlan Giles played a defining role in Craig Jones’s development as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor.
At Absolute MMA in Melbourne, Giles helped Jones refine the technical skills that would later become central to his competitive identity. Their training emphasized positional awareness, efficient movement, and finding submission opportunities against skilled opponents.
Giles was particularly respected for his detailed understanding of no-gi grappling, including leg-lock systems and guard techniques. Working under his guidance gave Jones a strong foundation for competing at higher levels.
A major milestone arrived in 2015 when Jones won the purple belt division at the IBJJF World No-Gi Championship.
His performance earned him a promotion to brown belt in December that year. In 2016, Giles awarded him his black belt.
For Jones, the promotion represented much more than a change in rank. It marked the culmination of years spent developing his skills and established him as one of Australia’s most promising international grapplers.
Craig Jones and John Danaher
After establishing himself in Australia, Craig Jones began training extensively with John Danaher at Renzo Gracie Academy in New York City.
Danaher had already developed a reputation as one of the most influential technical instructors in submission grappling. His teaching emphasized systematic approaches to positional control, leg attacks, and submission combinations.
Jones became associated with the Danaher Death Squad, a group of elite grapplers known for their technical ability and success in major competitions.
Training alongside accomplished athletes gave Jones opportunities to test his techniques against experienced opponents on a regular basis. It also exposed him to different approaches to competitive preparation.
His association with Danaher contributed to his international reputation, but it wasn’t the beginning of his technical development.
Jones had already spent years learning under Matt Jones and Lachlan Giles. His later success reflected the combined influence of those experiences, along with his own commitment to improving as a competitor.
Craig Jones ADCC Career and Major Achievements
Craig Jones’s international breakthrough came at the 2017 ADCC World Championship, one of the most respected tournaments in submission grappling.
During the competition, he submitted Leandro Lo, a highly accomplished Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion and the top seed in his division. Jones also defeated experienced competitor Murilo Santana during the tournament.
Although he didn’t finish on the podium that year, his performances changed how many people viewed him. He had demonstrated that he could defeat established champions on one of the sport’s biggest stages.
His results improved in subsequent ADCC appearances.
In 2019, Jones earned a silver medal in the under-88-kilogram division. He followed that achievement with another silver medal in 2022, competing in the under-99-kilogram category.
Outside ADCC, Jones also enjoyed success at Polaris, capturing championship titles in the 185-pound and 205-pound divisions.
His earlier accomplishments included winning the IBJJF World No-Gi Championship at purple belt and securing victories at the ADCC Asian and Oceania Trials.
Although an ADCC world championship gold medal remained absent from his record, his consistency against elite opponents established him among the leading submission grapplers of his generation.
Craig Jones Grappling Style and Favorite Techniques
Craig Jones has built much of his competitive reputation around technical open guard, leg locks, and a willingness to attack submissions from different positions.
Open guard allows a grappler to control an opponent through leg positioning, grips, and movement without keeping the legs locked around the opponent’s waist.
When used effectively, it creates opportunities to sweep an opponent, improve position, or attack a submission.
Jones became particularly well known for his heel hooks and other leg attacks. These techniques require precise control of the opponent’s lower body and careful attention to positioning.
His approach is not simply about attacking aggressively. Timing, leverage, and understanding how an opponent moves are equally important.
What makes his style interesting is his ability to connect techniques. An unsuccessful attack can become an opportunity to transition into another position, allowing him to maintain pressure without depending entirely on strength.
His instructional programs have also helped students understand the technical reasoning behind advanced grappling movements.
Danaher Death Squad Breakup and B-Team Jiu-Jitsu
In July 2021, John Danaher announced that the Danaher Death Squad would no longer continue as a unified training team.
The announcement attracted considerable attention because the group had become one of the most recognizable organizations in professional submission grappling.
Public explanations pointed to disagreements involving future training locations, personalities, individual priorities, and the direction of the team.
Following the separation, Craig Jones helped establish B-Team Jiu-Jitsu in Austin, Texas.
The original group included prominent grapplers Nicky Ryan, Nicky Rodriguez, and Ethan Crelinsten. Seth Belisle also became involved in the organization’s development.
B-Team quickly developed its own identity. While its athletes took training and competition seriously, the organization became equally recognizable for its humor and informal public image.
The combination helped B-Team attract attention from established grappling fans and newer audiences.
For Jones, the project represented an important stage in his career. He was no longer simply competing as part of an established team; he was helping build an organization with its own training culture and public reputation.
His relationship with the original B-Team organization has evolved over time, so its founding history should be distinguished from later developments.
Craig Jones Invitational and Professional Grappling
Craig Jones expanded his influence beyond competition when he launched the Craig Jones Invitational, widely known as CJI, in 2024 alongside Seth Belisle.
The event immediately attracted attention because of its unusually large financial rewards.
Its inaugural tournament offered million-dollar prizes to the winners of two major divisions, while participating competitors also received appearance payments.
The competition took place in Las Vegas during the same weekend as the ADCC World Championship, creating significant discussion within the grappling community.
CJI presented an alternative approach to professional submission grappling, placing greater emphasis on athlete compensation and event presentation.
The tournament returned in 2025 with a team-based competition format. Jones also participated in a special match against former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen.
Beyond individual matches, the event encouraged wider conversations about how professional grapplers earn money and how tournaments can attract larger audiences.
By 2026, Jones’s work in event promotion had become an important part of his professional identity.
Rather than focusing exclusively on winning competitions, he had begun influencing the business and presentation of submission grappling itself.
Craig Jones Net Worth, Coaching, and Personal Life
Craig Jones has developed several professional activities outside competitive grappling.
His work includes coaching, seminars, instructional programs, sponsorship opportunities, and involvement in professional grappling events.
He has also contributed to the preparation of mixed martial artists, including Australian UFC champion Alexander Volkanovski.
These activities illustrate how successful Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes can build careers that extend beyond tournament prize money.
However, Craig Jones’s exact net worth has not been confirmed through reliable public financial records. While various websites publish estimates, those figures should not be presented as established facts.
His online presence has also become a major part of his public identity.
Unlike athletes who maintain a strictly formal image, Jones frequently uses humor, interviews, and entertaining content to connect with fans. His willingness to joke about himself and the sport has helped him build a distinctive following.
When it comes to his personal relationships, verified information is more limited.
Although readers often search for details about Craig Jones’s wife or marital status, reliable public confirmation is insufficient to make definitive claims about his private life.
Craig Jones Influence on Modern Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Craig Jones’s influence on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu reaches beyond his achievements as a competitor.
His performances at ADCC helped demonstrate the effectiveness of technical, submission-focused no-gi grappling against elite opponents.
Through instructional programs and seminars, he has shared advanced techniques with practitioners who want to improve their understanding of the sport.
His involvement in B-Team also contributed to the growth of Austin as a destination for professional grappling training.
Perhaps his most significant contribution outside competition has been the Craig Jones Invitational.
By introducing substantial prize money and exploring alternative tournament formats, the event encouraged discussion about the financial realities of professional grappling.
Jones has also shown that elite athletes don’t have to maintain a serious public image at all times. His humor and willingness to engage with fans have made the sport more approachable without diminishing the technical demands of competition.
As Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu continues to develop internationally, his career illustrates how athletes can influence the sport through competition, education, entertainment, and business initiatives.
Final Thoughts
Craig Jones’s journey from a teenager training in Adelaide to an internationally recognized Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor is a story of persistence, technical development, and a willingness to pursue new opportunities.
His achievements at ADCC and Polaris established his reputation among elite submission grapplers. Training under Lachlan Giles and John Danaher helped shape his skills, while his involvement in B-Team introduced another important chapter in his professional career.
Yet Jones’s influence doesn’t end with competition results.
Through coaching, instructional programs, and the Craig Jones Invitational, he has helped bring attention to the opportunities and challenges facing professional grapplers.
His ability to combine technical expertise with humor, creativity, and an interest in improving the sport makes him a distinctive figure in modern Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
As the sport continues to grow, Craig Jones’s career offers an example of how a successful athlete can move beyond personal achievements and contribute to the development of an entire competitive community.
FAQs About Craig Jones
How Old Is Craig Jones in 2026?
Craig Jones is 35 years old as of November 2026. He was born on July 17, 1991, in Adelaide, South Australia. He began Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training as a teenager before developing into an internationally recognized professional submission grappler.
Who Gave Craig Jones His Black Belt?
Craig Jones received his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt from Lachlan Giles in 2016. Giles coached him at Absolute MMA in Melbourne and played a major role in developing his technical skills. Jones later trained extensively with John Danaher.
What Is Craig Jones Famous For?
Craig Jones is best known for his ADCC silver medals, his submission victory over Leandro Lo in 2017, and his Polaris championship titles. He is also recognized for helping establish B-Team Jiu-Jitsu and launching the Craig Jones Invitational.
Is Craig Jones Married?
Craig Jones has not consistently shared verified public information about his marital status. Although he frequently discusses his professional career and grappling activities, reliable details about his private relationships remain limited.
What Is Craig Jones’s Net Worth?
Craig Jones’s exact net worth is not publicly verified. His professional activities include Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instruction, seminars, digital training programs, sponsorships, and event promotion. However, these activities do not provide enough information to calculate his personal wealth accurately.
Why Did Craig Jones Leave the Danaher Death Squad?
Craig Jones became involved in establishing B-Team after the Danaher Death Squad separated in 2021. Public explanations for the breakup included disagreements about training arrangements, individual priorities, personalities, and the future direction of the organization.
What Is the Craig Jones Invitational?
The Craig Jones Invitational is a professional submission grappling event launched in 2024. It became widely recognized for offering substantial prize money and appearance payments. The competition also encouraged discussion about improving financial opportunities for professional grapplers.
What Is Craig Jones’s Grappling Style?
Craig Jones is known for his technical open guard, heel hooks, leg entanglements, and submission-focused approach. His style relies on leverage, positional control, timing, and the ability to transition between attacks rather than depending entirely on physical strength.
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