BOA Super 8 Results: DJ Jackson defeats Craig Jones in finals

DJ Jackson defeated hometown favorite Craig Jones to win $20,000 Australian dollars.

Team Lloyd Irvin standout, DJ Jackson, traveled halfway across the world and faced off against stiff competition but he walked out of BOA Super 8 as the champion and $20,000 AUD richer. Jackson defeated the local favorite, Craig Jones, in the final match of the tournament.

Both Jackson and Jones tore through the tournament, bringing together a finals match that features two very decorated and experienced grapplers. In what was an interesting strategy, Jones pulled guard at the start of the match, electing to take the penalty point in belief that he would be able to snatch a submission or get points of his own. Jones has submission wins over the likes of Jake Shields and Murilo Santana, so it’s understandable why he would take that option.

But he was unable to find the answer to defeat Jackson, who is known for having an excellent base game on top and the wrestling abilities needed to take down anyone in the sport. Jackson was able to keep his hips low to prevent Jones from creating any space through elevation – which is a key component to his ability to create offense. At the same time, Jackson was able to remain active enough in the position as he frequently attempted to pass Jones’s guard, but was unable to successfully get past his knee shield defense.

Jackson was able to fend off all of Jones’s attacks, including a kimura which looked threatening at one point. Jackson’s strategy and skill set served him well throughout the event. Other than Jones, none of the other competitors were able to stop Jackson from taking them down, passing guard then attacking their arms. In fact, Jones was the only individual who was able to keep Jackson within a guard and prevent him from scoring points.

The event featured an eight-man tournament that brought out some big names along with lesser-known talent across the competitive grappling landscape. Along with Jackson and Jones, James Brasco, Philippe Pomaski, Stuart Cooper, Sami Baki, Roberto Frias and Ben Hodgkinson were a part of the showcase.

Four superfights were also a part of the BOA Super 8 event. Dean Liebenberg defeated Uros Culic via a penalty points. Livia Gluchowska defeated Tegan Krarup via kneebar to heel hook combination. Thalison Soares defeated Mikael Yahaya via bow and arrow choke. Pasha Stolyar defeated Thiago Stefanutti via decision when their bout ended in a 2-2 tie.

BOA Super 8 will be available for replay on FloGrappling.com.

Full Tournament results:

Quarterfinals:

Stuart Cooper def. Philippe Pomaski – 0x0pts, 0x1pen

DJ Jackson def. Sami Baki – Kimura lock

Craig Jones def. Roberto Frias – 7x0pts

Ben Hodgkinson def. James Brasco – 2×2, ref decision

Semifinals:

DJ Jackson def. Stuart Cooper – 3×0

Craig Jones def. Ben Hodgkinson – Outside heel hook

Finals:

DJ Jackson def. Craig Jones – 0x0pts, pen