How much does a Jiu-Jitsu champion make? Prize money at the biggest events
From the US$1 million at the Craig Jones Invitational to the US$20,000 at The Crown, here is what the ADCC, the IBJJF, the AJP and the superfight events pay
A Jiu-Jitsu champion’s prize ranges from a medal, at most open tournaments, to US$1 million, the amount the Craig Jones Invitational paid in 2024. In between are the ADCC, the IBJJF’s invitational events, the Abu Dhabi circuit and the superfight shows.
Here is what the main events pay, using the most recent figures released by the organizations themselves.
What each event pays
| Event | Champion’s prize | Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Craig Jones Invitational | US$1 million per division | 2024 |
| ADCC, absolute and superfight | US$50,000 | 2026 |
| IBJJF Absolute No-Gi Grand Prix | US$50,000 | 2026 |
| ADCC, men’s divisions | US$20,000 | 2026 |
| The Crown (IBJJF) | US$20,000 | 2026 |
| ADCC, women’s divisions | US$10,000 | 2026 |
| BJJ Stars Grand Prix (Brazil) | R$100,000 | 2024 and 2025 |
| IBJJF BJJ Pro in Curitiba | R$7,500 per division | 2026 |
| AJP Grand Slam in Rome, master | US$1,500 | 2025 |
The Craig Jones Invitational million
The biggest prize in the sport’s history was paid in August 2024 in Las Vegas. The Craig Jones Invitational gave US$1 million to the champion of each of its two divisions and US$10,001 to every athlete in the brackets, just for competing. At the second edition, in 2025, the format changed to teams: B-Team took the US$1 million prize and Helena Crevar won US$100,000 in the women’s tournament. The story of the event’s creator is on Craig Jones’s profile.
ADCC: double for the men in 2026
For the 2026 World Championship in Kraków, Poland, the ADCC raised its prize money. The champion of each men’s division now gets US$20,000, the runner-up US$10,000, third place US$3,000 and fourth US$1,000. In the women’s divisions the amounts were US$10,000, US$5,000, US$2,000 and US$1,000. The absolute champion and the superfight winner got US$50,000 each. In total, the event paid out about US$362,000.
The gap between men and women sparked a debate. Craig Jones announced he would pay out of his own pocket the US$48,000 needed to make the amounts equal, but he withdrew the offer a month later.
IBJJF: Worlds, The Crown and the Grand Prix
The IBJJF pays cash prizes to adult black belts at some tournaments. The last chart released for the World Championship, in 2019, set US$4,000 to US$7,000 for the champion of each weight class, depending on the number of athletes, and US$10,000 for the absolute champion, with equal amounts for men and women.
The federation’s biggest prizes are at its invitational events. At The Crown, the winner of each bracket takes US$20,000. At the 2026 Absolute No-Gi Grand Prix, champion Victor Hugo received US$50,000. At the BJJ Pro series the amount is smaller: in Curitiba, Brazil, in 2026, the black belt champion of each division won R$7,500, as long as the bracket had at least four athletes.
AJP: the Abu Dhabi circuit
The AJP pays at every stop of its tour. The 2026 World Pro, in November in Abu Dhabi, advertises more than US$800,000 in prizes across all belts and divisions. At the Grand Slams the amounts are smaller. In Rome in 2025, João Miyao received US$1,500 for his master 1 title and complained about the lack of opponents: “I see a lot of people complaining that Jiu-Jitsu competitions don’t pay, but when one does, nobody signs up.”
Superfight shows and events in Brazil
At BJJ Stars, the Grand Prix champion took R$100,000 at the 2024 and 2025 editions. The 2026 PBJJF Worlds, in the United States, advertises more than R$350,000 in prizes. The CBJJE Worlds paid out more than R$65,000 in 2024. At smaller events the numbers drop: at Brave Challenge II, in October 2026, each Grand Prix champion gets US$1,000, the same for men and women. “If they deliver the same thing, why would I pay them differently?” said organizer Max Gimenis.
UFC BJJ does not disclose what it pays its athletes.
Has the money arrived in Jiu-Jitsu?
The numbers since 2024 show a jump, but one concentrated in a few events and a few athletes. For coach Luciano Bernert, of Start Doing, the challenge now is development. “The money is coming to the sport, but we need to prepare our athletes for these opportunities,” he told VF Comunica.
Which event should pay its athletes more? Leave your opinion in the comments.
