"See you soon Dagestan" - Craig Jones pokes fun with "jacuzzi" reference and accepts Islam Makhachev's invitation 

Craig Jones (left) accepts Islam Makhachev
Craig Jones (left) accepts Islam Makhachev's (right) invite. [Images courtesy: Getty]

Craig Jones accepted Islam Makhachev’s open invitation to visit Dagestan and added a tongue-in-cheek jacuzzi line that kept their long-running banter alive.

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The rivalry has grown over the years of Jones needling Dagestani wrestlers and poking fun at Sambo. He leaned into the dynamic after Jack Della Maddalena beat Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 and pushed the playful Australia versus Dagestan angle.

He continued to joke about Sambo’s level and even produced a video suggesting Dagestani wrestlers borrowed their techniques, which irritated some fans and amused others.

Jones was in Della Maddalena’s corner for the Makhachev fight at UFC 322. Makhachev controlled the fight from the first takedown and never allowed Della Maddalena to settle. The one-sided decision helped Makhachev add another belt to his resume and gave him the perfect opportunity to deliver a pointed message to Jones.

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Makhachev extended an invitation to train in Dagestan, and Jones wasted no time accepting it with his trademark sarcasm. He posted a video of his post-fight interaction with Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov, and captioned the post:

"I formally accept my invite to the jacuzzi. See you soon Dagestan."

Check out Craig Jones' Instagram post below:

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Islam Makhachev's manager rips into Craig Jones after UFC 322

Ali Abdelaziz did not pull any punches after Islam Makhachev dominated Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322. The manager trolled Craig Jones and argued that the Australian coach played a part in Della Maddalena’s rough night.

He questioned Jones’s approach and framed the preparation as a major factor in Della Maddalena's inability to adjust once the fight hit the mat.

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Abdelaziz dismissed Jones’s relevance and brushed aside the grappler’s public comments during the buildup. Speaking in an interview with Fox Sports Australia, he said:

"Hey, Australia, deport Craig Jones. He makes guys lose. He's not good for MMA. JDM could’ve done so much better if he tried to get back up, but this buggy choke and all that stuff didn’t work. He’s a jiu-jitsu guy who tries to be relevant using MMA guys."

However, many fans pushed back on Abdelaziz’s take. They felt Della Maddalena handled the ground exchanges with composure and credited Jones for preparing him to survive long stretches of control while shutting down every submission Makhachev tried.

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Edited by Abhishek Nambiar
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