- Craig Jones forcefully kissed his opponent Gabi Garcia ahead of their bout
- The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu match was billed as the first-ever intergender fight
- Jones won the match with relative ease in the second round
A 6ft-tall male Jiu Jitsu fighter has choked out and defeated a female opponent in the sport’s first mixed sexes bout – after controversially kissing her first.
Australian fighter Craig Jones grabbed the face of his 6ft 2in rival Gabi Garcia and kissed her on the lips in the build-up to the fight which shocked viewers.
That led to a confrontation at the face-off when 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.’
Garcia, 38, is actually taller than her opponent although Jones is the heavier of the pair at 107kg to his 93kg, according to reports.
The pre-bout build-up began in startling style as Jones appeared to grab Garcia’s head and lock lips before they took to the ring in Las Vegas.
Gabi Garcia expressed her gratitude and respect for Craig Jones following her defeat
She let out a scream in response and could be seen chasing Jones as he fled the scene last Thursday.
Jones later took to social media proclaiming, ‘Brazilians can’t take a joke’, and that the fight was cancelled – before declaring it ‘back on’.
And Jones, 33, was able to maintain control of his opponent as the fight got under way last night, with Garcia struggling to keep him from locking in a submission.
His victory was met with a smattering of boos as he released the submission 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.’
Yet the fighters shared a moment of respect in the ring – with Garcia seen on her knees bowing her head to the mat as a sign of respect for her opponent.
And she then took to social media offering thanks to Jones following her defeat.
In an Instagram story Garcia said: ‘I really want to express my grattitude 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!
‘U [sic] are an incredible person! Genuine! Funny and one of my best friends now! I’m proud of you! U [sic] made!!
‘Thanks for giving me the opportunity to make one more dream come true!
Craig Jones won the bout against Gabi Garcia by rear naked choke in the second round
‘I wait one life for this moment and only happened because you! From my heart love and respect!’
The clash comes after controversies at the Paris 2024 Olympics over the gold medal-winning participations of Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting in the women’s boxing.
Algerian boxer Khelif, 25, who is not a transgender woman, allegedly has male ‘XY chromosomes’ which led to her disqualification from 2023 world championships.
At the time she and Lin failed unspecified gender eligibility tests administered by the now-banned International Boxing Association, with the International Olympic Committee instead taking charge of the boxing events at Paris 2024.
Some sports have limited the levels of testosterone allowed for athletes competing in women’s competition, while others ban everyone who has been through male puberty.
Differences of Sexual Disorder are a group of rare conditions involving genes, hormones and reproductive organs.
Some people with DSDs are raised as female but have XY sex chromosomes and blood testosterone levels in the male range.
The IOC said its rules of eligibility were based on those of the Tokyo Games in 2021 and could not be changed during a competition.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk and Harry Potter author JK Rowling were among the high-profile figures leading the outcry about Khelif taking part in this summer’s Games at which the Algerian fighter won gold.
Now Khelif has filed a lawsuit to French authorities alleging ‘acts of aggravated cyber harassment’ – and the potential penalties at stake have now been revealed, as well as the prospect of yet more famous names being targeted.
