by Lois Geal
Aussie jiu-jitsu star Craig Jones has been rightfully criticised for his conduct towards female opponent Gabi Garcia.
The face-off before a big fight night doesn't usually start off with one competitor lunging towards the other and kissing them, but that's exactly what happened ahead of Jones' match against Garcia.
Grabbed by the face, Jones pulled Garcia into an unconsensual kiss in front of an audience and cameras on Thursday August 15th.
Garcia is a four-time ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship gold medallist and six-time IBJJF world champion, who has been playing with the idea of facing a male grappler for years.
She made it clear she did not find the stunt amusing and was filmed furiously pushing him away from her before chasing him across the room.
Footage of the bizarre face-off subsequently went viral and social media users were all in agreement that Jones' stunt was completely out of order - whether it was just a tactic to unsettle his opponent or not.
The fighter, who is the head of B Team Jiu-Jitsu which trains in Austin, Texas, then took to social media himself to announce that Garcia had seemingly pulled out of the first-ever mixed-sex jiu jitsu clash.
Adding more fuel to the fire, he wrote: "Fight's cancelled. I guess Brazilians can't take a joke."
However, this took a dramatic U-turn as he declared that the fight at the 'Craig Jones Invitational' this weekend in Las Vegas was “back on.”
The event featured several matches and the winners of the two tournaments held were promised $1million in prize money, while the other fighters reportedly earned $10,000.
Heavyweight Garcia - a member of the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation who boasts 71 career wins in the women’s division - decided to take on light heavyweight Jones due to their similar size and stature.
A lot of people had their money on her to win, due to the fact she was fighting with a vengeance after the controversial kiss earlier this week, as well as the fact that she is taller and heavier - weighing 107kg, while Jones is 93kg.
But the Aussie managed to defeat Garcia after he locked her into submission and dominated the jiu jitsu bout from the opening bell, before ultimately forcing her to tap out when he got her in a rear naked choke.
Reports claim Jones was met by a chorus of boos after bagging the win in Vegas, but Garcia wasn't a sore loser.
Instead, she was seen on her knees bowing her head on the mat in a sign of respect towards Jones, before the Brazilian star heaped praise on him in an online post.
Garcia shared an Instagram story alongside the words: "I really want to express my gratitude and love for you @craigjonesbjj! This month you worked hard and changed the sport! I hope one day people have the chance to know you!”
Adding, “I want to cry because I see all this. Guys, thank you everybody for coming here. Thank you Craig for what he did for the sport. It's amazing.”
While this was a historic moment that welcomed the future of cross-gender fights, Craig did in fact sexually assault Gabi on camera by forcibly kissing her and proceeded to boat about it online.
As viewers, we can’t move on from this moment without questioning the underlying message.
Sexually assaulting someone to boost your fight views is a crime, and people must hold Craig and his team accountable for his actions and wrongdoings.
Women in any profession deserve the respect of their male peers. Surely it’s a basic expectation to not have an unwelcome kiss forced on you in the workplace?
Edited by Emily Duff