"I need to stay here longer" - BJJ icon Marcelo Garcia credits undying love for his family for helping him overcome cancer

Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) legend Marcelo Garcia earned his place in the sport's upper echelons thanks to his enormous success in both gi and no-gi tournaments throughout the mid-2000s. Despite his dominance, the Brazilian's greatest battle came in 2023.

The ADCC and IBJJF Hall of Famer revealed in January of that year a stomach cancer diagnosis, which he battled into remission by June after undergoing surgery to remove the tumor and chemotherapy.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Garcia shared what motivated him throughout the experience:

"It wasn't a great thing fighting for my life. And when I say my life, I'm not just talking about myself. I'm talking about the life of my kids' father. You know what I mean? I have to be their father, I need to stay here longer, and I need to try to give them the best chance to grow up like good people."

After winning his fourth gold medal in the ADCC World Championship in September 2011, Garcia stepped away from the sport he loved to focus on fatherhood.

13 years later, Garcia will return to action at ONE 170 on Friday, Jan. 24, inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, where he faces fellow grappling legend Masakazu Imanari.

ONE 170 is available via watch.onefc.com.

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Marcelo Garcia is eager to prove he still has it at ONE 170

Though his legacy is already cemented, Marcelo Garcia is approaching his openweight submission grappling bout with 'Ashikan-Judan' as if he is still an up-and-comer.

During a sit-down interview with JitsCast, Garcia mentioned:

"I need to get in shape because somebody's training to beat me, and now I have the motivation. So I just got what I was missing. But it feels natural to be able to go back to training. And I just can't wait to do this for as long as I can."

Watch the entire interview here: