Jiu Jitsu sparks gender row as male fighter chokes out female opponent following controversial kiss in face-off
18 August 2024, 15:12
A male Jiu Jitsu fighter choked out and defeated a female opponent in the sport's first mixed sexes bout after controversially kissing her in the build up to the fight.
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Australian fighter Craig Jones grabbed the face of his 6ft 2in rival Gabi Garcia and kissed her on the lips when the pair faced off on Thursday ahead of the inaugural ‘Craig Jones Invitational’ in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
This comes following the gender row which overshadowed the female Olympic boxing events in Paris earlier this month.
Algeria’s Imane Khelif and China’s boxer Lin Yu-ting were both cleared to compete by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), despite being banned by the International Boxing Association (IBA) in 2023 for allegedly failing to meet gender eligibility criteria.
Following the controversial kiss, Garcia, from Brazil, could be heard saying: “Man. You're a b***h man. Craig, really? F*** you - you crossed the line, crossed the line, crossed the line.”
She let out a scream before being seen chasing Jones as he fled the scene. The Australian later took to social media saying “Brazilians can't take a joke”, and that the fight was cancelled - before declaring it “back on”.
Garcia, 38, was taller - at 6ft 2in - than her 6ft opponent as well as being the heavier of the pair at 107kg to his 93kg, according to reports.
Despite this, Jones, 33, controlled his opponent on Saturday night as Garcia struggled to keep him from locking in a submission before his victory was met with boos as he released the hold.
After footage of the clash went viral online, one shocked viewer posted, “Wait, this was a real fight?”, while another wrote: "Still can’t believe this actually took place.”
Despite this, the fighters shared a moment of respect in the ring as Garcia bowed her head to the mat on her knees as a sign of respect for her opponent.
The Brazilian then took to social media offering thanks to Jones following her defeat.
In an Instagram story, Garcia said: “I really want to express my gratitude and love for you @craigjonesbjj!
“This months you worked hard and change the sport! I hope one day people have the chance to know you!
“(You)] are an incredible person! Genuine! Funny and one of my best friends now! I'm proud of you!
“Thanks for giving me the opportunity to make one more dream come true!”
