Australian grappler Craig Jones shocked onlookers when he kissed his female rival, Brazilian star Gabi Garcia, during their pre-fight face-off ahead of an inter-gender Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu match.
Both highly respected in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), Jones, with 55 career victories, will face Garcia, who has achieved 71 wins in the women’s division and six additional victories in professional MMA, in the Craig Jones Invitational this weekend.
The decision to pit Jones against Garcia was made due to their similar physical attributes, although Garcia is slightly taller and heavier. During Thursday’s face-off, the two fighters engaged in an intense stare-down, with Garcia towering slightly over Jones.
However, the atmosphere quickly changes when Jones unexpectedly kisses Garcia. The Brazilian fighter reacted with visible shock as Jones ran off, laughing. Garcia, clearly angered, responded with a profane outburst, expressing her disbelief at Jones’ actions.
Jones initially joked about the incident on Instagram, claiming that the fight had been cancelled and saying, “I guess Brazilians can’t take a joke.” However, he later posted an update confirming that the fight would go as planned.
The unusual incident baffled fans on social media, with many expressing confusion over what had transpired. One fan commented, “I’m so confused and have so many questions,” while another remarked, “I’ve spent a few minutes trying to figure it out, but I’m not entirely sure what’s happening here.”
The inter-gender match between Jones and Garcia is now set to proceed, with all eyes on what promises to be an intriguing and unusual contest.
