CJI 2: Rivalries, super teams and style wars
Inside the $1 million team bracket where legacy, philosophy and personal grudges collide
CJI 2 Team Format & Rules Overview
Team Size
8 teams total
Each team has 5 athletes, one per weight class:
–66kg / 145 lbs
–77kg / 170 lbs
–88kg / 194 lbs
–99kg / 218 lbs
+99kg / +218 lbs
Match Format: Submission-Only, Elimination Style
CJI 2 uses a modified Quintet-style team elimination format, with a unique pit setting and rule tweaks:
How it Works
One athlete from each team faces off in a 1v1 match.
The winner stays on, and the loser is eliminated.
The opposing team sends in their next athlete — this continues until one entire team is eliminated (i.e. all 5 athletes lose).
Example:
Team A sends Fighter 1
Team B sends Fighter 1
Fighter 1 from Team A wins
Team B sends Fighter 2, and so on…
Match Duration
Each individual match is 8 minutes long.
No points, no advantages — submission-only.
Draws
If a match ends in a draw (no submission in 8 minutes), both competitors are eliminated.
This rule creates urgency and discourages stalling, as a draw can seriously hurt a team’s chances.
Strategy Matters
Teams must decide the order in which to send their athletes, often trying to:
Create favorable matchups
Use gas tanks wisely
Hide certain athletes for key matchups
It’s a mix of tactical choices and raw grappling skill.
Key Differences from ADCC or IBJJF events
No points or judges’ decisions
No gi
No resets — matches take place in a pit-style arena
No overtime
More like a survival game than a bracket.
Team Rosters & Key Picks
1. New Wave / Kingsway Jiu‑Jitsu (Coach: John Danaher)
Roster: Dorian Olivarez (–66kg), Mica Galvão (–77), Giancarlo Bodoni (–88), Luke Griffith (–99), Dan Manasoiu (+99).
Preview:
• One of the deepest, most dynamic lineups in the tournament.
• With Mica Galvão at 77kg and Bodoni at 88kg, they stack high-level athletes capable of controlling pace and securing submissions.
2. B‑Team Jiu‑Jitsu (Coaches: Nicky Ryan & Damian Anderson)
Roster: Ethan Crelinsten, Jozef Chen, Chris Wojcik, Nick Rodriguez, Victor Hugo.
Preview:
• A blend of speed, guard work and submission hunters.
• Undefeated in CJI 1 and home to mega-talent Nick Rodriguez (+99).
3. 10th Planet Jiu‑Jitsu (Coach: Eddie Bravo)
Roster: Geo Martinez (–66), Alan Sanchez (–77), PJ Barch (–88), Ryan Aitken (–99), Kyle Boehm (+99).
Preview:
• Veterans with decades of team‑format experience.
• Reddit support:
“PJ might be 35 but he’s better than he’s ever been… Ryan is one of the most underrated guys out there.”
“Alan also has one of the best guillotine… one of the best guillotines in the sport”
4. ATOS Jiu‑Jitsu (Coach: Andre Galvão)
Roster: Diego “Pato” Oliveira (–66kg), Ronaldo Junior (–77), Lucas “Hulk” Barbosa (–88), Kaynan Duarte (–99), Felipe Pena (+99).
Preview:
• Elite in every weight class. If Kaynan is locked in mentally, many view ATOS as the favorite.
• Reddit sentiment:
“If Kaynan mentally shows up to compete I have them as #1.”
5. Pedigo Submission Fighting (Coach: Heath Pedigo)
Roster: Max Hanson, Dante Leon, Jacob Couch, Michael Pixley, Brandon Reed.
Preview:
• A deep, underrated squad with diverse grappling styles; potential sleepers if they exploit tactical depth.
6. Team Australasia (Coach: Lachlan Giles)
Roster: Fabricio Andrey, Kenta Iwamoto, Lucas Kanard, Declan Moody, Belal Etiabari.
Preview:
• Wildcard‑style team full of high-motivation regional talent. Great for upset potential if the favorites underestimate them. Andrey is a giant killer.
7. Team Europe (Coach: Faris Benlamkadem)
Roster: Owen Jones, Pawel Jaworski, Paul Ardila, Charles Negromonte, Marcin Maciulewicz.
Preview:
• European Trials produced starters like Negromonte (99 kg), Ardila (88 kg) .
• Packed with hungry fighters motivated to prove continental pride.
8. Team Americas (Coach: Greg Souders)
Roster: Gavin Corbe, Deandre Corbe, Elijah Dorsey, Taylor Pearman, Pat Downey.
Preview:
• A robust blend of submission hunters and pressure – especially Downey at +99 who could anchor the team in pivotal moments.
📌 Additional Notes
• Ruleset: CJI 2 follows the CJI-specific format: submission‑only, pit‑based, multiple five‑minute rounds, and elimination-style team matches akin to Quintet. Matches are standardised to eight-minute runs now
🔥 Team Rivalries to Watch at CJI 2
The Craig Jones Invitational 2 isn’t just a tournament — it’s a collision of rival teams, styles, and philosophies that have been brewing for years. While the super fights and submissions will grab headlines, the real drama is in the team rivalries. Here’s what’s simmering beneath the surface:
⸻
New Wave vs B‑Team
The DDS Divorce Comes to the Pit
This is the rivalry. Born from the split of the now-legendary Danaher Death Squad, New Wave and B‑Team represent two sides of the same coin — both claiming the legacy, but walking different paths. New Wave, helmed by John Danaher, is all discipline and systemized technique. B‑Team, led by Craig Jones and Nicky Ryan, leans into creativity, pressure, and anti-authoritarian energy.
Expect fireworks if Mica Galvão or Giancarlo Bodoni locks horns with B‑Team studs like Jozef Chen or Ethan Crelinsten. And if Nick Rodriguez gets matched against Dan Manasoiu or Luke Griffith — that’s must-see.
⸻
ATOS vs Everyone
The Old Guard Defends the Throne
Led by André Galvão, ATOS has long stood atop the jiu-jitsu hierarchy. But at CJI 2, they’re the hunted — facing younger, hungrier teams who see them as the establishment to dismantle.
Against New Wave, it’s a rematch of the ADCC 2022 absolute final (Kaynan vs Bodoni). Against B‑Team, there’s leftover tension from past ADCC snubs, trash talk, and that undeniable vibe of “your style won’t work on us.”
ATOS has the pedigree. Now they need to prove they still have the edge.
⸻
10th Planet vs the Systems
The Funky Veterans vs the Algorithm Guys
Eddie Bravo’s 10th Planet squad has always played by their own rules. Rubber guard, lockdown, twisters — unorthodox tools in a world of clean passes and back takes. At CJI 2, they’re stepping into the fire against system-driven teams like New Wave and ATOS.
Can PJ Barch and Ryan Aitken disrupt the flow? Will Alan Sanchez’s guillotine game force the system players to adjust? If style makes fights, then this clash is pure contrast.
⸻
Pedigo vs the Super Gyms
The Daisy Fresh Grind Meets the Glamour Brands
Pedigo Submission Fighting isn’t flashy. They’re gritty. They’ve been building killers in a rundown gym in Mt. Vernon, Illinois — and they’re bringing that same grindhouse energy to Las Vegas.
They don’t have the biggest names, but they’ve got something a lot of teams don’t: hunger. Dante Leon, Jacob Couch, and Michael Pixley are workhorses with the skill to shake things up.
Against squads like ATOS and New Wave, they’re massive underdogs. But that’s exactly how they like it.
⸻
The Regional Teams vs the World
Europe. Australasia. The Americas. No Stars? No Problem.
While New Wave, ATOS, and B‑Team stack up the superstars, the regional teams — built through trials and scouting — arrive with something more primal: the need to prove they belong.
Team Europe, guided by Trials standouts and coaches like Faris Benlamkadem, brings brute force and tight fundamentals. Australasia, coached by Lachlan Giles, comes in cerebral and technical. And Team Americas, with wildcards like Pat Downey, offers sheer athletic chaos.
These aren’t filler teams. They’re trap cards. And one upset could flip the entire bracket.
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