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Brazilian icon Marcelo Garcia will make his much-awaited return to competitive fighting on Jan. 24 at ONE 170.
That evening, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt debuts in the promotion against Masakazu Imanari in an open weight submission grappling match, and he couldn't ask for a better country to make his comeback than Thailand.
During the press conference of the card, Marcelo Garcia revealed that he has been longing to visit the 'Land of Smiles' and reiterated his love for the country's people, food, and culture, saying:
"First, like, I feel so happy to be able to do this again. I waited so long for this. If there was one place that I wish to visit, it was Thailand. I don't think people realize, but I love Thai food. I love the people from here. I never had the chance to do this before, my kids were so small."
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Additionally, he is savoring each moment of his stay in Thailand and is excited to put on a show for fans in attendance at the sold-out venue:
"So now, I'm here and I'm doing my comeback in Thailand, a place that I always wished to be, a dream come true for me because I just love the people. I see how [big your] fight culture is over here, so to be able to do my comeback over here makes this a very exciting moment."
Watch the full ONE 170 press conference here:
Marcelo Garcia promises to put everything on the line against Masakazu Imanari at ONE 170
Ahead of his comeback fight, the 41-year-old veteran vows to give his best against the Japanese legend.
Marcelo Garcia shared this in his most recent appearance on the Jitscast, where he proclaimed:
"One thing that I know, I guarantee, whenever I go and compete, is that I will always go and give everything that I have. I never know whether it's going to be enough, and I never promise whether I'm going to win, I never did that in my life."
ONE 170 will be available via watch.onefc.com. The exciting event goes down inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on Jan. 24.
