BJJ News — athlete pay

When Ben Kovacs, FloGrappling's General Manager, described Combat Jiu-Jitsu International's impact on the grappling landscape as a "hugely painful time," he was being diplomatic. What he actually meant: One competitor showed up, proved athletes were worth real money, then disappeared — leaving ADCC

Rafael Lovato Jr., a 43-year-old veteran of elite grappling and MMA competition, announced he would skip ADCC 2026. His reason was direct: he was done competing against twenty-somethings without a paycheck.

Jozef Chen didn't mince words. He's one of the best no-gi grapplers alive—a multiple ADCC title contender, a submission machine, the kind of guy who dismantles everyone they put in front of him.

The BJJ community has been asking the question out loud: is CJI becoming the next Metamoris? The debate got heated. Craig Jones weighed in: "It's free, I'll do whatever the fuck I want. Respectfully I...