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Male jiujitsu star Craig Jones went into his grappling match with Brazilian female legend Gabi Garcia with tons of controversy after forcefully kissing her during a promo leading up to their bout on Saturday night.
Jones ended up choking out Garcia in a second-round submission in the sport’s first-ever "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 together in the ring.
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Gabi Garcia enters the ring prior to the bout against Barbara Nepomuceno at Saitama Super Arena on Dec. 31, 2018, in Saitama, Japan. (Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
Garcia, though, gave him a good bout, especially after surviving the first round. The 6-foot-2 Brazilian is regarded as one of the best jiujitsu fighters in the world, having won four times at the ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship as well as being a six-time IBJJF world champion.
However, the ending saw Garcia ultimately tap out in the second round. Jones and Garcia both acknowledged one another respectfully before saluting the crowd.
This fight was feared to have been canceled at one point after a Thursday promo saw Jones grab Garcia’s face and kiss her in front of cameras, which set off the Brazilian.
Garcia shoved Jones, who ran away from her, and she started spewing expletives as he walked away.
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"Man, you’re a b----, man. Craig, really? F--- you. You crossed the line," Garcia, who was also hurling Portuguese swears at Jones, was heard saying in the video.
Jones shared a video of the incident on his Instagram and captioned it, "Fight’s cancelled. I guess Brazilians can’t take a joke." He would later say the fight was back on.
The fight featured no punches, as the two were only grappling in the ring. But despite this being Jones’ event, he was showered with boos as he defeated Garcia.
Garcia later posted a picture of her and Jones hugging after the match, where she expressed 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 months [sic] u worked hard and change the sport!" Garica wrote. "I hope one day people have the chace to know you! U are a incredible person! Genuine! Funny and one of my best friends now! I’m proud of you!
"Thanks 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 out of disappointment.
"I wan to cry because I see all this," she said, via the Daily Mail. "Guys, thank you everybody for coming here.
"I believe our sport can be bigger than ever and today I win this match because everybody, people can say, ‘It’s a joke,’ or they don’t agree. I call it self respect because I do what I want and I don’t give a f--- about nothing."
Craig Jones prepares 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 day one of the "Craig Jones Invitational" received 1.2 million views on YouTube, pointing to the success of the event even with the controversy before the bout.
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