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BJJ legend Marcelo Garcia is set to return to the mat and showcase that he can still compete at the highest level.
Earlier this year, ONE Championship announced that the five-time IBJJF world champion had officially signed with the promotion. We know that on Friday, January 24, Garcia will make his official debut when ONE heads back to Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, for ONE 170.
The fourth-degree black belt will square off with Japanese grappling legend Masakazu Imanari in one of those most-anticipated submission showdowns of the last decade.
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It's been more than a decade since the 41-year-old has stepped on the mat for a competitive matchup, in the time since Garcia has seen his children born and fought bravely after being diagnosed with stomach cancer.
Fortunately, the Brazilian made a successful recovery after undergoing chemotherapy and surgery to remove the tumor.
With a new lease on life, Garcia is ready to make the most of it. The MMA icon shared his thoughts on the same during his appearance on Ariel Helwani show. He said:
"I just want to be part of this. I still feel like I have age. I have desire. I feel good in my body. I was a long time stuck with that cancer treatment."
Here's the full interview:
Marcelo Garcia's last professional outing was during the 2011 ADCC Submission Fighting World Championships, a tournament he ultimately won.
Despite the lengthy layoff, Garcia never felt like he'd retired from the sport. He simply took a break that lasted a little longer than expected. Garcia spoke on the same during Jordan Teaches Jiu-Jitsu podcast. He said:
"There was so much going on. When I say it's going on, like, I took out this time off, and I literally never retired. I never thought about retiring. I always thought like, oh, I'm gonna go on a break, you know. And I had kids, and that break became even longer."
Fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE 170: Tawanchai vs. Superbon II, which will air live on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, January 24 in U.S. primetime.
