Craig Jones revealed on The Ariel Helwani Show that he came close to putting together one of the most unlikely celebrity grappling matches imaginable…
Tom Hardy against Mark Zuckerberg at Craig Jones Invitational 1.
The story surfaced during a conversation about Jones’ regretted tattoo of “Tom Hardy” on his right hand:
I regret getting it on my right hand. I have to see it every time I take a p*ss and pay for something.
The tattoo traced back to an earlier, separate attempt to get Hardy to step in for an injured Gable Stevenson at CJI2, a deal that fell apart due to short notice.
What came next was more surprising.
I don’t know if I’m legally allowed to say this, but we were trying to get Tom Hardy versus Zuck for CJI 1.
We did come close. We did come very close.
Jones recalled pitching Hardy directly in New York:
Yo, Tom, if you come out and face Zuckerberg… Remember I can read all your DMs. What happens in that match? I tap.
Despite the joke, Jones said he viewed Hardy as a legitimate competitor, noting he trains daily and is “the real deal” among celebrities in combat sports.
Ultimately, the match never materialized:
I think it was more of a timing issue. They both agreed to it in principle…
Scary for Tom to face Zuckerberg because if he loses, it’s hard to be the action star anymore.