The bitter feud between grappling superstars Craig Jones and Gordon Ryan has reached new heights following Jones’ bombshell retirement announcement and the dissolution of B-Team.
In a revealing interview on Morning Kombat this week, Jones didn’t hold back when addressing his former teammate’s recent attacks, stating bluntly: “I don’t even know what he means half the time.”
The Latest Escalation
The drama intensified after Jones announced his likely retirement from competitive grappling following CJI 2 in August, along with plans to end B-Team and rebrand the operation. Gordon Ryan wasted no time responding, declaring that the “poison has been cut out” of the team.
But Jones seemed unfazed by Ryan’s characteristically harsh words during his Morning Kombat appearance, suggesting that Gordon’s attacks have become so frequent and nonsensical that they’ve lost all impact.
From Teammates to Bitter Rivals
The relationship between these two grappling legends has completely deteriorated since their B-Team days. What started as a professional partnership has devolved into one of the sport’s most toxic rivalries, with both men regularly trading barbs on social media and in interviews.
Jones, who built the million-dollar CJI tournament partly as a rival to ADCC (where Ryan has dominated), has consistently positioned himself as the more level-headed of the two. His latest comments suggest he’s reached a point where he simply dismisses Gordon’s rants as incoherent rambling.
The Bigger Picture
With Jones stepping away from competition after CJI 2 and focusing on his promotional work, this feud may finally be reaching its conclusion. Jones expressed hope during the interview that his retirement might put their beef “to bed” once and for all.
Meanwhile, Ryan continues to deal with his own health struggles with gastroparesis, recently vacating his WNO heavyweight title due to his ongoing battle with the condition.
What’s Next?
As CJI 2 approaches on August 30-31 in Las Vegas, all eyes will be on whether this war of words continues or if Jones’ retirement truly marks the end of one of grappling’s most bitter rivalries.
One thing’s certain: Jones seems to have reached the point where he’s simply tuning out the noise from his former teammate, treating Gordon’s attacks as background static rather than serious threats.
CJI 2 takes place August 30-31, 2025 at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
