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Marcelo Garcia was willing to face anyone ONE Championship put up against him in his improbable return to competition. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu icon will take on Japanese legend Masakazu Imanari in a dream openweight submission grappling match at the stacked ONE 170 card on Jan. 24, 2025, at Impact Arena.
In an interview with JitsCast, Garcia said he never asked ONE Championship to give him a desired opponent and would gladly take on anyone the promotion put in front of him inside the Circle.
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Marcelo Garcia said:
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"I was never someone who used to choose an opponent. I was going to compete against like anyone that I could go compete, you know. So let's see."
Garcia is one of the greatest BJJ artists of all time and a member of the IBJJF and ADCC Hall of Fame. A nine-time BJJ world champion, Garcia won five world titles in the Gi under IBJJF and four No-Gi world titles under the ADCC.
Garcia was one of the pillars of the BJJ scene in 2000, but he left the mats in 2011 to focus on his family and growing gym. In Jan. 2023, Garcia announced that he was diagnosed with stomach cancer and had to undergo chemotherapy and surgery to remove the tumor.
Garcia, fortunately, beat the disease and is now set for a miraculous comeback against Imanari in Bangkok.
Watch Garcia's entire interview below:
Marcelo Garcia admits he likes it when opponents talk trash against him
By all accounts, Marcelo Garcia is one of the most respectful fighters in the professional BJJ scene. The Brazilian legend, however, admitted that he enjoys it when opponents talk trash against him.
In an interview with Jordan Teaches Jiu-Jitsu, the mild-mannered Garcia said some fighters often get creative with their smack talk and would in turn make fights a bit more exciting.
Garcia, however, maintained that families and loved ones should never be the target of such taunts:
"I understand the entertainment. And some people make it fun, you know what I mean? So if people can figure out a line that it's just for fun and entertainment, and not just talk about other people's family, maybe."
