Palhares Vs. Jones: Not What We Expected
Craig Jones and Rousimar Palhares squared off this weekend at Kasai 3 in what was touted as one of the most highly anticipated matches of the summer. The bout was sure to produce fireworks and was bounded in excitement. But BJJ fans around the globe ended up receiving less action than they’d hoped for.
Palhares’s aggressive and sometimes wreck less style was not present at Kasai 3. Instead we we’re presented with a much more tame and reserved Palhares than usual. He spent a lot of time on his knees, without putting much effort into advancing. With Palhares refusing to engage, this gave Jones little to no opportunities to mount his offense. The space Craig Jones needed to attack was just simply not being created.
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Both competitors have a history of producing exciting performances. If you’ve never seen Garry Tonon vs. Rousimar Palhares, it may be one of the most action packed matches the world of BJJ has ever seen. In this match, we see a very different Palhares than we saw at Kasai. Take a look:
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Craig Jones has also had his share of action packed competition moments. We can always count on the leg specialist to push the action and create memorable encounters with some of the best grapplers in the world. Check out some of Craig’s most exciting moments from ADCC here:
Despite the efforts of Jones, Palhares was just simply unwilling to commit to the action. Remaining heavy in his base, and at times just answering the offensive attempts of Jones with shoving, rather than jiu-jitsu. Craig Jones did come away with the decision, but a humble Jones was obviously not pleased with the performance and the uneventful nature of the match. During the post-fight interview, Craig made mention of the “Brendan Schaub approach,” referring to an earlier match between Brendan Schaub and Cyborg Abreu, where a similar set of circumstances played out. We can’t help but share Jones’s frustration on this one, but we’re looking forward to his future endeavors, and hoping his next opponent is willing to meet Craig with a little more enthusiasm.
For more from Craig Jones, check out his series How to Pass Guards Quickly and Easily Using Leg Attacks exclusively from BJJ Fanatics! You can get it here.
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