Craig Jones has officially announced that CJI 2 will feature a staggering $2.3 million total prize pool, making it potentially the richest grappling event in history.
The massive purse will be distributed across 36 athletes competing in the main tournament brackets, plus two high-profile superfights scheduled for the August 30-31 weekend at Las Vegas’ Thomas & Mack Center.
This represents a significant increase from the inaugural CJI event and demonstrates Jones’ commitment to elevating athlete compensation in professional grappling. The prize structure continues CJI’s mission to provide life-changing payouts that rival or exceed traditional combat sports.
The announcement comes as team rosters continue filling up through various qualification tournaments, including the recently announced -99kg and +99kg tournaments for team spots. With confirmed superfights including Jones himself taking on Olympic wrestling champion Gable Steveson, CJI 2 is shaping up to be the most lucrative and star-studded grappling event ever assembled.
The event’s tagline “36 Athletes, 2 SuperFights and $2.3M total up for grabs. The greatest grappling event ever!” has been prominently featured across CJI’s social media channels, building anticipation for what could set a new standard for athlete compensation in submission grappling.
