Craig Jones Reveals Zamaya, B-Team’s Massive New Training Home in Tulum
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Craig Jones tours Zamaya, the planned new home of B-Team Jiu-Jitsu in Tulum, Mexico.
TULUM, Mexico — Craig Jones is helping bring B-Team Jiu-Jitsu into a dramatically different era, trading the traditional academy model for a sprawling destination training resort in the Mexican jungle.
The new B-Team headquarters will operate inside Zamaya, a fitness and performance resort under construction in Tulum. Designed for combat-sports athletes, strength competitors and fitness travelers, the development combines professional training facilities with lodging, nutrition services, recovery amenities and spaces for seminars and large-scale events.
One important distinction is that Zamaya is not solely a Craig Jones development. The resort was founded and developed by Dave Foran, a former professional rugby player from Ireland. Jones and B-Team are joining the project as its prominent Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu component, with Jones expected to train, teach and host camps at the facility. Zamaya’s architecture was led by Bali-based Inspiral Architects, with interior work attributed to designer Paulina Morán.
B-Team Finds a New Home in Mexico
Jones recently toured the Zamaya construction site alongside Foran, giving viewers an early look at what will eventually become B-Team’s permanent training base.
The dedicated BJJ academy sits on an upper level overlooking the resort. Plans discussed during the tour include approximately 20-by-20 meters of mat space, an industrial air-conditioning system and large windows offering views across the surrounding training areas, pool and jungle landscape.
Jones said the facility will have a full-time B-Team black belt on site. He also intends to spend significant time in Mexico while organizing seminars and training camps featuring other members of the B-Team network.
The facility was targeting a September 2026 opening at the time of the tour, with Jones discussing plans for an early October camp. A Craig Jones camp is currently advertised at Zamaya for September 29 through October 5, 2026, although construction timelines can still change.
Bamboo Architecture Built Around the Jungle
One of Zamaya’s most recognizable features is its extensive use of bamboo.
The structure is not built entirely from bamboo, as its central support system uses steel. However, thousands of individual bamboo pieces are being installed around the buildings to create the resort’s curved roofs, exterior coverings and architectural details.
According to Foran, much of the bamboo was sourced from Mexico, with additional material brought in from Colombia. He said the project required purchasing a significant amount of bamboo from one of Mexico’s largest plantations.
At the center of the development is an enormous main training pavilion. Its design includes a spiral staircase leading toward a viewpoint above the facility, providing panoramic views of the Mayan jungle. Inspiral Architects based the pavilion’s shape partly around Fibonacci geometry, using spiraling bamboo arches to create the appearance of a structure rising naturally from the ground.
The pavilion will host group workouts, exhibitions, seminars and athletic competitions. Jones jokingly compared the concept to a fitness version of Willy Wonka’s factory—a description that captures the project’s unconventional scale and appearance.
Boxing, MMA, Strength Training and Seven Dedicated Areas
Although B-Team will be one of Zamaya’s major attractions, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is only part of the broader operation.
The Fight Pavilion is planned to include a full-sized boxing ring, an octagon and 16 heavy-bag stations for boxing, Muay Thai and MMA training. A running track will loop around sections of the complex, allowing athletes to move through the property without separating conditioning work from the main training environment.
The resort’s main strength facility, known as La Cima Gym, will include machines and free weights from companies such as Arsenal Strength, Rogue and Eleiko. Dedicated powerlifting and Olympic-weightlifting zones are planned, along with a posing room for bodybuilders and physique competitors.
A separate calisthenics area will be designed for daily training, instructional camps and competitions. Zamaya also plans to accommodate CrossFit, HYROX preparation, HIIT, Pilates, yoga, mobility training and other athletic disciplines.
Foran said the resort will contain seven different gyms or primary training areas in total, each designed around the actual needs of the athletes using it rather than functioning as a generic hotel fitness center.
Recovery Treated as Part of Training
Zamaya’s developers have also placed considerable emphasis on recovery.
The planned recovery block includes three continuously operating ice baths, a traditional sauna, a jacuzzi, multiple massage rooms and a sensory-deprivation flotation chamber. The resort also advertises physiotherapy, mobility work, yoga and guided meditation as part of its recovery programming.
A temazcal-style Mayan sweat lodge is also planned within the complex, connecting the recovery experience to the region’s environment and traditions.
Rather than forcing athletes to travel between separate gyms, treatment centers and accommodations, Zamaya is attempting to place training, recovery, food and rest within one connected property.
Nutrition Packages Designed for Fighters and Athletes
Guests will be able to select packages that include assistance from nutritionists and on-site chefs.
Meal plans can be structured around specific calorie and macronutrient targets for fighters cutting weight, bodybuilders preparing for competition or recreational athletes attempting to lose fat or gain muscle.
The goal is to remove much of the daily planning that can distract athletes during a camp. Guests can arrive with their meals, training and recovery schedule organized around their individual objectives rather than spending their stay searching for food or coordinating services across Tulum.
A Resort Built Around Athletic Community
Foran’s vision for Zamaya grew out of his own experiences traveling internationally after his rugby career.
He trained in different disciplines around the world, including Muay Thai in Thailand, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil, boxing in Cuba and athletic programs connected to Olympic-level training in China. Those experiences convinced him that athletes needed a destination offering serious coaching and equipment without sacrificing the social and restorative elements of travel.
Zamaya is therefore being positioned as more than a high-end fight camp. Guests will be able to train, eat, recover and participate in excursions alongside people who share similar interests.
The resort will also feature a seminar room capable of seating approximately 80 people, complete with projection equipment, an audio system and a speaking podium. The room can be used for coaching presentations, nutritional seminars, corporate retreats, mobility sessions and other educational programs.
Could Zamaya Become One of Combat Sports’ Most Important Training Destinations?
The comparison to the UFC Performance Institute is unavoidable, but Zamaya is attempting something different.
The UFC’s facilities are built primarily around supporting contracted fighters and company operations. Zamaya is being developed as a destination where professionals, serious amateurs and everyday fitness travelers can access multiple training disciplines while staying inside a resort environment.
Whether the operation can deliver everything being promised will depend on the final construction, coaching, pricing and long-term management. The project is enormous, ambitious and likely expensive to operate.
Still, the concept is difficult to ignore.
With B-Team establishing its new headquarters at the resort, Craig Jones hosting camps and Zamaya offering everything from elite Jiu-Jitsu to boxing, strength training, nutrition and recovery, the Mexican jungle could soon become one of the most recognizable training destinations in combat sports.
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