Mikey Musumeci may have headlined UFC BJJ 1, but outside the cage, he found himself embroiled in a furious off-mat war. The night was historic as the first UFC event featuring submission-only grappling, but it also created controversy. Craig Jones, the founder of the Craig Jones Invitational, has publicly stated that Dana White stole his format and rules. While many in the BJJ community have remained silent, Musumeci spoke out with equal parts honesty and diplomacy.Jones has been loud, accusing the UFC of copying his concept, from the sunken pit to the judging criteria. His now-viral video, in which he fires a rocket launcher at a Dana White mannequin, makes his feelings clear. “They stole the pit, the rules, and the judges,” he said. For the unaware, for the event, Dana White opted for a bowl-style arena while also applying MMA’s 10-9 must system.He also sarcastically wished UFC BJJ “success” and criticized alleged behind-the-scenes actions, such as preventing staff from working CJI events. With such posts, Craig Jones is engaging in a public feud, also placing pressure on high-profile figures such as Musumeci to respond. And well, he surely did.Mikey did not deny the similarities. “We definitely updated and took what Craig had,” he said during the post-fight press conference. “But he definitely deserves recognition.” He emphasized that the rules set in jiu-jitsu have always grown through borrowing.“Craig took the Karate Combat pit. We took that and made it cooler. The 10-point must system? That came from ACB. Everyone’s learning and taking from each other.” It was more of an explanation than a defense, an attempt to recast the argument as one of collaboration rather than stealing. View this post on Instagram A post shared by MMA Fighting (@mmafighting)Nonetheless, Musumeci did not want the drama to surround him. “I deleted Instagram last night,” he admitted. “Craig, please don’t attack me on Instagram. I’m waving the white flag.” He made it clear that he admires Jones and credits him with helping the sport flourish, but he also supports UFC BJJ.While others in the scene were cautious to prevent retaliation, Musumeci balanced it with a light touch and gratitude to both sides. It is worth noting that for now, Craig Jones is completely focused on Dana White and the UFC, so he is yet to target anyone else. But it would be interesting to see if he does; after all, he recently met and got really friendly with the new heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall.Back when Craig Jones and Tom Aspinall took a shot at Jon JonesMikey Musumeci may have escaped Craig Jones’ wrath for the time being, but history has shown Jones isn’t hesitant to target prominent names, especially when humor is his weapon of choice. But how do we know that? Well, that’s because just a few weeks ago, the Australian grappler teamed up with none other than Tom Aspinall to mock Jon Jones.It was lighthearted on the surface, but underneath the laughs was a thinly veiled jibe at the now-retired UFC icon. Given Craig’s ongoing feud with the UFC, the timing of that joke feels even more loaded in hindsight. The video in question was a parody of Jon Jones’ viral clip from Thailand, in which ‘Bones’ rode on the back of a motorcycle and oddly gripped the driver’s hair before taking off.Craig, never one to pass up a meme opportunity, recreated the incident by creeping up behind the Briton, who was mid-ride on his bicycle, and mimicking the hair grab. “Sorry, it’s a Jones thing, Tom,” he joked. Aspinall’s hesitant turn revealed it all: they both understood who the joke was about.Back then, Jon Jones had not yet announced his retirement, and Aspinall was still considered the interim champion. However, now that Jon Jones is officially out due to some possibly shady reasons and Aspinall is regarded as the undisputed king, it would be interesting to see if Craig Jones goes after him as well in his constant mockery of the UFC.The post Mikey Musumeci Admits UFC Took Craig Jones’ Concept but Defends Dana White Against Criticism appeared first on EssentiallySports.