Craig Jones is never shy with his words, especially when it comes to the UFC. This time, the Australian grappler took to social media with a post that was equal parts shocking and sharp-tongued. The spark?

UFC fighters are reportedly asking to compete in his event, CJI 2 (Craig Jones Invitational), now that news has emerged that Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson is out due to an injury. But Jones made it clear, Dana White and the UFC weren’t going to let that happen. And he let the world know in his trademark fashion!

In his post on Instagram, Jones wrote, “To all the @ufc fighters asking for the match. Your boss b— won’t allow you, read the fine print. Enjoy your Monopoly money and the CTE.” Accompanying the post were images of himself posing with a giant ZYN can, RPGs, and other weaponry.

So, why the fire? Let’s dig deeper. For years, Dana White and the UFC brass have faced accusations about how they treat fighters. For those unaware, there were two lawsuits filed for the same reasons in 2014 and 2021. Fighters accused the promotion of paying them only about 20% of revenue, while other leagues hand out closer to 50%. The claim? The UFC abused its market power, creating a monopoly and suppressing rivals.

The company eventually paid out $375 million to settle. Earlier this year, another case landed, this time from former UFC fighter Misha Cirkunov. It mirrors the earlier lawsuit, again pointing at fighter pay and anti-competitive practices. Journalist John S. Nash broke the details online, and guess who picked them up? Craig Jones.

He shared an Instagram story at the time that read, “Just your daily reminder not to sign with an organization currently being sued for creating a monopoly and underpaying fighters,” a dig straight at Dana White’s empire.

But money isn’t the only sore point. The UFC recently launched UFC BJJ, a grappling offshoot that looked strangely familiar to Jones. Why?—because it mirrored his own Craig Jones Invitational, as he stated on Instagram, “Obviously, they stole the pit, the rules, the judges, they’re blocking staff from working our event but I hope the finale goes off with a bang today. I hope all you guys tune in to watch my ideas come to fruition on the UFC YouTube channel.”

And now, even Gable Steveson’s abrupt withdrawal from CJI 2 has caused some to start pointing fingers at the UFC as a reason behind!

Craig Jones’ feud with Dana White and the UFC heats up as “timing” of Gable Steveson’s withdrawal questioned

Craig Jones vs. Gable Steveson was supposed to be the crown jewel of CJI 2. A classic clash of BJJ’s trickster vs. wrestling’s golden boy. But just days before the event, the matchup was scrapped. The reason? Steveson cited a toe injury.

For Jones, that explanation was almost too easy. Ever the showman, he couldn’t resist a jab. Quoting wrestling legend Dan Gable, Jones posted on social media, “Once you’ve wrestled, everything else in life is easy… except a hangnail.” But here’s where things get tricky. Steveson is still scheduled to make his MMA debut just 12 days after CJI 2, fighting under the LFA banner. The quick turnaround had Jones raising eyebrows, as he wrote on Instagram, “Hope his toe miraculously heals.”

And Jones wasn’t the only one. CJI commentator Alex Wendling took it further as he also took to social media with, “It’s a sad thing when a lad can’t keep his word, very interesting timing to get an MMA offer from recent ‘playful rival’ UFC’s feeder promotion.”

So, is there something more here than an injury? The timing has certainly fueled speculation. After all, as mentioned above, the UFC has been flexing its presence in grappling with its newly rebranded UFC BJJ.

Jones has been vocal about refusing those deals, calling them “exploitative.” According to him, the UFC even tried to lock him into an exclusive deal, but he said no. That hasn’t stopped the organization from mirroring his ideas, or so he claims. And with Gable Steveson now out, fans are left wondering: Is this rivalry starting to spill over into sabotage? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!