Ever present on the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition scene, Craig Jones spent the 4th of July in Orlando, Florida at the KASAI Super Series. Craig was up against a familiar face in Aaron “Tex” Johnson who Craig previously submitted via inside heel hook at EBI 14 in December 2017 (Craig’s pass breakdown available here), with Tex clearly keen to pay back the loss he experienced prior. In a KASAI super fight ruleset of 10 minutes with points, and a golden score overtime (if no clear winner), Craig focused on kimura attacks, working to expose the back and sink in a RNC for the win within the first 2 minutes. Congratulations to Craig on a stellar performance! This week is a busy one for Craig, who competed at KASAI with his match against Anthony Rumble Johnson on SUG 9 upcoming in just three days! More on that to come.
Interstate in Sydney, wrestling champion Reon Mahima entered the octagon on Superfight 12 for his second MMA fight, on fight 4 of the card against opponent Peri Santos. Setting a solid pace, Reon fought through some strikes from Santos, and took the fight to the ground around the last minute of round one, looking dominant from a top position. The bell sounded for round one with Reon still dominant on top, and after an evaluation from the fight doctor, it was concluded that Santos was unable to continue due to a foot injury. Congratulations to Reon on his first Mixed Martial Arts win! We look forward to seeing you back in the octagon soon!
Saturday saw our Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitors head to the Dominance Sub Only Gi Round Robin in Richmond, with notable performances from Vesper Cheon who secured a Gold, Hannah Cooper getting in there with 1 win/3 losses in her first competition after a two year hiatus, Linda Raymond taking away Gold in her weight class and Rebecca Stahlnacke winning three out of her four fights. Cooper Anderson and Elena Gomez also performed well on the mats, and we would like to congratulate them on their efforts, and for being amazing representatives for the gym! To everyone who competed and received medals, we would like to congratulate you on continuing to challenge yourself and moving forward in your martial arts journey!
Blue belt Bobby Sandhu represented for the team at Grappling Industries Sydney, powering through 6 matches to achieve 6 submissions, with his fastest match ending in 13 seconds! An amazing performance from Bobby, who spent a total amount of 9 minutes on the mats to achieve Gold in the No-Gi Adult Intermediate division for -155lbs. What a weapon!
On Sunday, July 7th, Craig Jones went to Portland, Oregon for the main event on Submission Underground 9 against MMA star and two time UFC light heavyweight title contender, Anthony Rumble Johnson. There was a significant size difference between the two, with Craig weighing in at 208lbs, and Rumble at 278lbs. Pulling guard to start, Craig attempted a triangle, before using his z-guard to enter leg entanglement and secure a quick win via heel hook. Back to back wins for Craig this weekend, defeating Johnson and Johnson in a double victory! Amazing work from Craig.
After a huge week at Absolute MMA Thailand with the Lachlan Giles Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Camp, the team took to Bangla stadium in numbers to watch Kru’s Athit and Watt in action, which was a huge treat for all present! First up for the team was Kru Watt, with the first round fought at a slower pace, both fighters looking to feel their opponents out and get their reads. In the second round, things stepped up and both fighters went to work. Kru Watt delivered a series of brutal leg kicks to the rear leg, and after the 3rd heavy kick, he knew the fight was over.
In the main event of the evening, Kru Athit returned to the ring against an opponent with a significant size advantage. Both fighters started strong, Kru Athit kept his back on the ropes and took some heavy shots, however continued to attack his opponents back leg. Round 2 saw some scary moments for Kru Athit as his legs went a little shaky after a big elbow strike, but he stuck to his game plan and continued to attack the rear leg of his opponent. In round 4, enough damage had been done, and Kru Athit came out with the victory after another huge leg kick to achieve the K.O!
A very special moment followed for all in attendance as the Absolute MMA team flocked the ring to celebrate. A very special night for the team!
Photography: Warren S Photography, KASAI, SUG, Vesper Cheon, Absolute MMA Thailand, Bobby Sandhu.