Ffion Davies made history and a bit of controversy on Thursday night. The top pound-for-pound star won a razor thin decision over Adele Fornarino as the UFC’s first ever women’s jiu-jitsu main event.
Davies was also part of the inaugural Craig Jones Invitational (CJI) card, where she dominated UFC star and fellow Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) world champion Mackenzie Dern. As CJI 2 approaches though, the six-time IBJJF world champion explained why she was uninterested in rejoining Craig Jones’ upcoming event.
UFC grappler Ffion Davies uninterested in ‘begging’ for CJI 2 slot
“My stance is going to come as a female athlete, and if you look at CJI, they don’t have a women’s division,” Davies told MMA Mania after UFC FPI 11. “I think they’re now being bullied into putting a women’s division on.
“I have no desire to beg people for a place on a card anymore. I used to do it ‘please help me. Please, please, please!’ I don’t want to do that anymore,” Davies said. “I just got put as the main event on the biggest platform. I’m not begging for a spot anymore.”
As MMA Mania previously reported, Davies recently became one of the first few exclusively signed UFC grapplers. Having won world titles in ADCC and IBJJF, Davies revealed that she has other goals now.
“If there’s a (CJI women’s) division, I’d love to be a part of it, but to be honest I would much rather fight for a belt with the UFC,” Davies told Alex Behunin. “If that’s a possibility, I would love to do it. A 135 lb. belt would be phenomenal, the dream — maybe in London.”
“I wish CJI the best. I was really really glad to be part of it. I think it made huge waves, and there’s no questioning it was an amazing event. I wish them the best,” Davies said. “But unless there’s a women’s division, I’m not interested, and I’m very happy with my (UFC) contract.”
While Davies has an exclusive UFC deal, she will still compete with Polaris one last time, taking on teenage BJJ phenom Helena Crevar and others as part of their all-female “Polaris Squads” team grappling event on June 28.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
CJI 2 to add $100,000 women’s tournament after being ‘bullied’
CJI 2 will host a $1 million team tournament this August, which is looking more and more stacked with BJJ stars. As Ffion Davies alluded to, other female BJJ stars have been pushing Craig Jones on social media to actually add women to the event.
Just before UFC FPI 11, Jones responded to the “bullying” and will now be putting a women’s tournament with a $100,000 prize. No names or details have been revealed just yet, but Jones noted that it will be a bracket of four women.
Craig Jones has also heavily criticized the UFC lately, taking shots at the promotion’s business practices, “exploitative” BJJ contracts, and upcoming TUF-style jiu-jitsu reality show.
The BJJ star turned promoter also took a jab at Davies’ split decision win at UFC FPI 11.
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