As Australian grappler Craig Jones prepared to face off against Brazilian legend Gabi Garcia, an uninvited kiss during their pre-fight face-off sparked a firestorm of outrage online and cast a shadow over what was supposed to be a celebration of their skills.
The Brazilian jiu-jitsu phenom, 38, went head-to-head with the 33-year-old male MMA fighter in the inaugural Craig Jones Invitational at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.
The two fighters had agreed to an intergender Jiu-Jitsu fight, and fans were promised a high-stakes showdown during the match held on August 18.
While the anticipation was palpable, the unexpected kiss became one of the things that netizens couldn’t stop talking about.
Australian grappler Craig Jones made headlines for an uninvited and controversial kiss with Brazilian BJJ star Gabi Garcia during their pre-fight encounter
As the two fighters squared off before their match, Craig stunned everyone, most of all his opponent, by grabbing her by the head and planting a kiss on her lips.
The reaction from the four-time ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship gold medalist was immediate and visceral—she pushed him away and made sure her displeasure was known.
Meanwhile, the 33-year-old BJJ athlete ran away, leaving behind his dumbfounded opponent.
“You’re a b—-, man. Really? F— you, you crossed the line,” she exclaimed.
Fans shared their outrage online, with many saying it was “sexual harassment” and there was a “lawsuit incoming.”
“You can’t just sexually assault someone ‘as a joke,’” read one comment, while another said, “Bro just sexually assaulted her on camera.”
“You crossed the line,” the BJJ icon said as she was visibly uncomfortable by her opponent’s actions
“Sexual assault caught on camera, what was this guy thinking?” one asked.
“Nah WTF there’s no way this is even real the fact that people even think sexual harassment is funny is scary,” another said.
“Sexually assaulted someone while knowing you’re on camera is f–king insane,” wrote another.
One said, “I hope Craig Jones is charged with sexual assault, while they think it’s a joke to forcefully kiss a woman.”
Craig reportedly defended his actions by saying, “Brazilians can’t take a joke.”
Despite the uproar, the match between the two brawlers took place as planned. In a dramatic turn of events, Craig emerged victorious after forcing Gabi to tap out with a rear-naked choke.
The pre-fight moment led to widespread backlash online, with many calling it “sexual harassment” and expecting a lawsuit
Craig Jones kisses Gabi Garcia at face-offs and the fight is now cancelled 😳 #CGI #BJJ pic.twitter.com/HBf0rqjyZN
— MMA UNCENSORED (@MMAUNCENSORED1) August 15, 2024
The win added another triumph to the male challenger’s impressive record, which boasts 55 career victories in the male category.
Gabi, a decorated grappler in the women’s division with 71 wins and a six-time IBJJF world champion, found herself unable to counter her opponent’s move in the ring during the Sunday showdown.
The aftermath of the match saw the two challengers hugging it out in the ring before taking the mic to share their immediate thoughts.
“I want to cry because I see all this [crowd]. Guys, thank you everybody for coming here,” Gabi told the audience.
“Thank you, Craig, for what he did for the sport. It’s amazing. The thing for me is you guys because when we die, the medal and the plates don’t go with me, but I will be alive in all of you guys… Never fight for a medal. Fight for what you love and what you believe,” she went on to say.
The intergender Jiu-Jitsu match between the 33-year-old Craig and the 38-year-old Gabi was highly anticipated and took place on Sunday, August 18
The IBJJF Hall of Fame member also said she believes in doing what she wants, and she called people making jokes “motherf——”.
“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,” she said. “For everyone who thought that the show wouldn’t happen and made jokes about us, motherf——!”
She dedicated the high-intensity match to her brother as she concluded her message.
“I compete in ADCC for 18 years, and today was the day that my brother died, and this was for you brother, for my mum, my dad, my family, and for you guys… Look at this here. This is my other family,” she said.
After the match, Garcia delivered an emotional speech, emphasizing respect and the importance of fighting for passion rather than medals
Craig, who emerged as the winner of the first intergender MMA fight, was up next to share his thoughts with the crowd. He expressed gratitude for being able to share the ring with the Brazilian icon.
“It feels good. Obviously, Gabi’s a legend for jumping into this,” he said. “I mean, this is just for the athletes really. The people that currently run ADCC don’t really treat the athletes very well…”
“This event was crazy. I couldn’t ask for better energy than this,” he went on to say. “I’d do it again. I’d do it again… I’ve had death threats from ADCC from the organizers, which is crazy. Just ridiculous…”
“I don’t even think that event is worth talking about really. They’re over there fighting for some breadcrumbs,” he added.
Ahead of the match, Gabi spoke about what she hoped to achieve from the fight and praised Craig for “revolutionizing the game with this idea.”
Craig expressed gratitude toward Gabi for being part of the showdown, where he emerged as the winner of the first-ever intergender match
The two are friends and have even trained together in the past.
“For me, it’s good marketing,” she told MMA Fighting about the match earlier this month.
She also explained that there was a reason she was looking forward to being a part of the “superfight” on American soil.
“It’s more than fighting a man,” she told the outlet. “The American audience has never really liked me, you know? I’ve always dealt with hate. And for the first time in my career, I feel 99 percent of the people are on my side. This is entertainment.”
“For me, it’s good marketing… It’s more than fighting a man,” Gabi said in an interview ahead of the match
“If my mom, my grandmother, my aunt, sits down to watch a jiu-jitsu tournament, they won’t understand the rules. But if you put Gabi against a man, people want to watch that,” she continued.
In the same interview, Gabi admitted days before the fight that her male challenger was “really good.”
“But don’t expect me to go easy on him,” she added.
“It’s been a long time… He’s pissing me off for so long. I want to smash him. He calls me all the time. He posts about me all the time. Give me a break, Craig!” she laughed and said.
“If I get to a good position, I’ll control the match instead of exposing myself [to a submission] for nothing, of course,” she said. “But I’ll fight as I was taught by my master.”
Social media exploded with outrage over Craig’s uninvited kiss ahead of the match
