The most anticipated Craig Jones Invitational between Nittany Lions member Jason Nolf and BJJ prodigy Tye Ruotolo ended amidst controversy. Although Penn State wrestler Jason Nolf started strong with his precise ankle picks and brilliant foot sweep, Ruotolo proved to be too good a match for the former Pan American champion. The last-second tight kneebar from Ruotolo forced Nolf to tap, ensuring a submission victory for the 21-year-old submission grappler.

However, the match was overshadowed by a serious accusation from Ruotolo. In a post-match interview posted on the official B Team Jiu Jitsu page on X, Ruotolo makes serious accusations against Nolf, claiming he greased his legs. “I felt like I was just gripping on the freaking bar of soap,” Ruotolo revealed in the video interview. That’s not it; Ruotolu even claimed it, and Nolf accepted the fact as well. Did you grease your legs? I asked him. He’s like, ‘Yeah.’ I can’t even believe he admitted it, you know. You’re not supposed to do that,” exclaimed Ruotolu. While Nolf has yet to respond to the accusation, he has come up with a rather quirky way to register his resignation against the claims. Let’s delve into the details.

Nolf scathing video attack after greasing allegations

Surprisingly, instead of commenting on the accusation leveled against him, Nolf took an unconventional path to address the issue. Instead of coming out straight, he seemed to have chosen trolling to counter the allegations made by Ruotolo. In a video shared by X user, The Wrestling Room (Pat Maneo), the 3X US national champion was seen putting some kind of cream on his leg, mimicking the greasing allegations against him.

The Nolf video also split fans, with a few lining up with him, exclaiming Ruotolo’s words were pure fabrication and fruitless, given that he won the match. One fan pointed out, “So then why does he feel the need to accuse Nolf of cheating? Sounds like insecurity over performance to me. No need to go on camera and say oh yeah he greased up, then claims he said he greased up. Another lie.” However, BJJ fans were quick with the rebuttal, pointing out that Ruotolo never struggled against Nolf, dominating the game for the entire duration. Greasing or not, the defeat knocked Jason off the race to CJI dominance, continuing his disappointing run this year.

What will be the repercussions for Jason Nolf if the greasing claims come true?

It’s one disappointment after another for Jason Nolf this year. After Kyle Dake eliminated him in the Olympic trials back in April, Nolf was looking forward to the CJI invitational and the $1 million grand prize money. After accepting the invitation, Nolf took to Instagram to announce his participation in the CJI Invitational, captioning, “In August I will (be) competing in Las Vegas in the (CJI Invitational) for a chance at $1 million! Can my wrestling get it done?? I think this is so awesome and such a great opportunity for the grappling community. Thank you (Craig Jones).”

However, his dreams to dominate the CJI Invitational were trampled in the inaugural match against Tye Ruotolo. His defeat also accompanied serious accusations of greasing, further complicating things for the three-time NCAA Division I national champion. If CJI decides to investigate the issue and conclude that the allegations are true, there will be severe repercussions for his prospects at the international submission grappling tournament. He could be penalized for his actions or even banned from future CJI events. Do you believe Tye Ruotolo’s accusation of greasing is justified? Tell us in the comment section.