Emmanuela Oliveira 
Cássio Silva, a black-belt who leads the School of Champs in Paris, is one of the athletes who prioritize the AJP ranking because of the value perceived by athletes in terms of structure and, especially, prize money. Participating in the federation’s Grand Slams, in addition to the intention of remaining undefeated during the current season, is one of Cássio’s main goals, a Jiu-Jitsu fighter active in competitions.
The rivalry between ADCC and CJI is one of the most commented subjects in the grappling scene. Craig Jones’ initiative, rivaling the most traditional submission tournament in the world, in the creation of CJI had as its starting point the proof that it is possible to call grappling stars to fight, paying a good amount of money. The date and location to make the first edition of the event a reality were handpicked: Las Vegas on August 16th and 17th, the same weekend as the main ADCC event, which will also take place, as every year, in this same city.
For Cássio, the rivalry will cause positive consequences for athletes
With the exodus of numerous ADCC athletes to compete for the CJI title, which comes with a more satisfactory amount of money, the discussion has begun about the importance of the legacy and the financial compensation. What is worth more? Cássio Silva is going with the first option, although he believes that Craig Jones’ move will have positive consequences in terms of the athletes’ value.
“What made the ADCC what it is today is the fact that it always has the toughest athletes. I think that the CJI’s vision will help a lot in valuing the athletes, as is the case with the AJP, which can make the IBJJF wake up. Personally, I prefer the legacy and would choose the ADCC if I were in the athletes’ shoes, instead of the money, but if I could have both, it would be much better for everyone. The CJI will certainly change many things positively.”.
Bringing the topic exclusively to Gi Jiu-Jitsu, Cássio already foresees a major rivalry between the IBJJF and AJP. For him, if the investment from the UAE federation were even bigger, with important events scheduled with conflicting dates between the IBJJF and AJP, the athletes would benefit with that.
“As I said, if the AJP puts in more money like the CJI and schedules the World Pro on the same date as the IBJJF Worlds, I think the champions would be divided and maybe that would make the IBJJF have to act.”.
