Just 11 days after his MMA debut, Jason Nolf is a favorite to win $1 million tournament

It's been less than two weeks since Jason Nolf defeated Andrew Simmons at the Paradigm Open, but the MMA community is in awe of the three-time NCAA gold medalist for the incredible fitness he displayed inside the Octagon on June 9. Nolf only hinted last week that he will compete in the inaugural Craig Jones Invitational in August, and now he appears to be shaping up to be one of the favorites among connoisseurs to take home the $1 million prize.

Nolf previously revealed that he had long wanted to delve deeper into the world of jiu-jitsu, and after the Olympic team trials didn't go as planned, the idea of ​​stepping out from under Penn State's shadow came to mind. Fortunately, the decision may be a boon for the 28-year-old.

A recent Instagram post from Alexandra Wendling revealed the current situation at CJI, where she noted that there were only five spots left in both the over-80kg and under-80kg categories for the August event, but attention had shifted elsewhere.One of @cjiofficial 's biggest power moves to date is adding 3-time D1 wrestling champion, 4-time finalist, and Olympic qualifying finalist/alternate @jasonnolf to the roster.“,” the post's caption reads.

The post also noted that Nolf's participation caused quite a stir throughout the community.Wrestling purists should be intrigued by the formula, and BJJ nerds better take note.“Jason is a very strong man,” Wendling wrote in her post. She also invited a wrestling grind expert to give his honest opinion on Jason's prospects in BJJ tournaments.

“I couldn't be more excited to see Jason Nolf there.” said Wendling's guest, apparently still enthralled by the former Penn State wrestler's defeat of Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs in the team preliminaries in April.Beating Jordan Burroughs in a wrestling match would be insane.” The interviewee stressed. But the NLWC star may not be the only one garnering attention in the CJI.

Nolf's confidence may be boosted by his allies.

Nolf, a two-time Big Ten gold medalist, previously said he relies on the help of MMA star Beau Nickal to help him train. Nickal, a Penn State graduate, was on hand during the team trials, where he and head coach Cale Sanderson offered key advice to the Olympic-aspiring athletes. Nickal's activities inside the Octagon led former President Donald Trump to write, “You've got to be a great athlete.”PhenomenalAn athlete who is likely to have a bright future.

“Maybe his [Jason] Close friend,“As for the possibility of Bo being a CJI competitor,” he speculated in an Instagram video. The two big names from Penn State will undoubtedly draw a lot of attention in the grappling tournament with the biggest prize pool in the sport, but their task will not be easy. At CJI, they will face tough competition from the likes of Levi Jones-Leary and Eoghan O'Flanagan.

Who will you pick from the staked roster? Let us know your choice and why in the comments!