"I did a lot for this sport" - Marcelo Garcia says he played an integral role in the evolution of BJJ over the years

There aren't many competitors that can match the legacy of submission grappling icon Marcelo Garcia.

The Brazilian had already achieved so much in his career by the time that he decided to temporarily walk away from the sport.

He's one of the few examples of an athlete that went out whilst he was still at the top of his game but other priorities were coming into the picture.

In the years that he has been gone, submission grappling has continued to grow with bigger events and more fans each year.

The evolution of the sport is clear to see in ONE Championship which has also championed some of the top grapplers in the world right now.

Garcia is set to finally rejoin this world by making a shock return at ONE 170 on January 24 where he faces off with Masakazu Imanari.

In a recent interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, he spoke about watching this growth from the outside and why that motivated him to come back:

"I just don't want to leave that behind. I see how much the sport is growing. I just want to enjoy this. I think I did a lot for this sport and to see how far they went."

Watch the full interview below:

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Marcelo Garcia is a pillar of the grappling community

Marcelo Garcia was already one of the all-time greats, but his influence on the sport has continued to be felt due to the excellent coach that he has become.

The grappling icon has continued to impact the trajectory of submission grappling even after he stepped back from it, but now, he's ready to take center stage once again.

At 41 years old, Garcia is out to prove that he's still got it, and this already exciting season will be even better with him back in it.