Olympic wrestling champion Gable Steveson has stepped out of the highly anticipated superfight with Craig Jones in the Craig Jones Invitational 2 (CJI 2) by citing a grass toe injury while training. The withdrawal will take place a few days before the event scheduled for August 30th-31st at Thomas & Mac Center in Las Vegas.
Craig Jones released the news through his Instagram account, saying that Steveson would not compete due to a toe injury. The timing of the withdrawal has attracted a lot of attention from the grappling community, especially considering its closest to Steveson’s scheduled MMA debut at LFA 217 on September 12th.
Gable Steveson’s toe injury
Grass toes are hyperextension damage to the joints of proximal finger planters, usually caused by force of the toes upwards above their normal range of motion. This type of injury is particularly problematic in wrestling and grappling activities as it affects explosiveness, push-off ability, change in direction, and overall mobility.
Injuries often occur when excessive force is applied to the toes during high-impact sports activities. For wrestlers and grapplers, grass toes can develop from the pressure and force applied to the toes during hold and grappling exchanges, as they need to maintain balance and apply pressure to the pressure.
Medical professionals usually recommend at least three weeks of rest for athletes with turf toes, allowing for proper healing of the joint capsule. Without adequate rest, the injury can progress and lead to longer recovery times.
CJI 2 Confusion
This withdrawal caused great disruption to the CJI 2 event. It is set to feature Super Fights as one of its main attractions alongside the team-based tournament format. Craig Jones has begun reaching out to potential alternatives, including half-joking contact with Wyatt Hendrickson, who defeated Gable Steveson at the NCAA Championship earlier this year.
Craig Jones Invitational 2 represents the transition from the first individual tournament format at the 2024 event to a team-based Quintet style competition featuring eight teams of five grapplers competing for $1 million. The event also includes a $100,000 women’s bracket.
MMA debut is still scheduled
Despite his withdrawal from CJI 2, Steveson’s professional MMA debut at LFA 217 remains scheduled for September 12th at Mystic Lake Casino in Fore Lake Minnesota. He is expected to face 37-year-old Braden Peterson. He holds a 1-0 professional record with a 14-second knockout victory in his debut.
The 25-year-old Steveson won Olympic Gold in the heavyweight freestyle wrestling at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and won two NCAA Division I Championships at the University of Minnesota, bringing an extraordinary wrestling pedigree to the MMA transition. He was the youngest American heavyweight wrestler to win Olympic gold, and at the age of 21 he achieved this milestone.
Community Responses and Scepticism
This withdrawal has created considerable debate within the grappling community, as it questions the timing and nature of the injury. Social media reactions have flocked to understanding the medical need to avoid competition from skeptical injuries about the decision to withdraw from grappling matches, while still maintaining his MMA debut just two weeks later.
UFC legend Chael Sonnen had previously expressed confusion over Steveson’s decision to compete in CJI 2 and make a close consecutive debut for MMA debuts.
Steveson trained extensively for two CJI matches, including his time with various MMA coaches and time with UFC heavyweight champion John Jones.