Craig Jones: "I wish this was a joke” - Craig Jones reacts to Jack Della Maddalena allegedly choking him unconscious ahead of UFC 315

Jack Della Maddalena is scheduled to take on Belal Muhammad for the welterweight title in the main event of UFC 315 on May 10. The Australian is viewed as having a striking advantage over Muhammad, who is known for his elite wrestling skillset.

Della Maddalena has worked with Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) athlete Craig Jones, one of the world's best BJJ practitioners, for the last two years. In recent footage that emerged from the title challenger's training camp, it appeared that he was able to put Jones to sleep with what looked like either a d'arce choke or an anaconda choke.

Check out Jack Della Maddalena rolling with Craig Jones below:

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It isn't clear whether or not the footage is genuine, but Jones shared his thoughts on the video. He commented twice on the post and wrote:

"I wish this was a joke. I'm the joke."

"Time to retire."

Craig Jones' reaction to footage of Della Maddalena allegedly choking him unconscious

Jones has been impressed with the welterweight contender's grappling skillset for a while. The BJJ athlete admitted that he "stole moves" from Della Maddalena during their training sessions in 2024, and the Australian could surprise fans with his ability to grapple with the likes of Muhammad.

Dan Hooker is skeptical about Jack Della Maddalena allegedly choking out Craig Jones

Dan Hooker has trained with Craig Jones in the past, with both combat sports athletes hailing from the Australasian area of the globe. Hooker is well aware of Jack Della Maddalena, having grown up in the same region of the world, but has yet to train with the welterweight contender.

'The Hangman' has been a part of the analysis team for Sky Sports NZ, appearing on episodes each month where he breaks down the upcoming fight cards alongside presenter Ravinder Hunia.

During a recent episode, Hooker discussed Della Maddalena's upcoming fight against Belal Muhammad at UFC 315. He mentioned the recent footage of him appearing to choke out Jones. He said:

"Jack Della is a great defensive wrestler and obviously has a huge boxing advantage over Belal Muhammad. I saw a video today, it kind of looked like a bit of leaked footage, where Jack Della actually choked out Craig Jones. That's the talking point of MMA at the moment. I'm not sure I believe that because I have trained with Craig Jones, and I don't think... It's a great way to market your takedown defense."

Check out Dan Hooker's comments below (14:48):

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Liam is a MMA and Boxing writer at Sportskeeda. His journey into MMA journalism began with a high school diploma in 2017, but his passion for writing led him to diverse experiences, including internships in research and writing roles and accounting work.

Liam's fascination with MMA was sparked by Conor McGregor, with Dustin Poirier's bout against Dan Hooker in 2020 sealing his love for the sport. Poirier remains Liam's favorite fighter, whom he admires for his attitude, fighting style, and persona both inside and outside the cage. He is an advocate for the removal of the 12-6 elbow rule in MMA.

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Outside of work, Liam enjoys playing cricket, practising Brazilian jiu-jitsu, cooking, music, and reading.

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Edited by Tejas Rathi