"I want to have the most advantage" - Marcelo Garcia says searching for his edge in fights has always been his game plan

Marcelo Garcia is a true master of his craft but it has been a long time since grappling fans got to watch him at the peak of his powers. The submission icon decided to walk away from competition whilst he was at the very top to focus on other priorities at the time.

Making a return to competition was always going to be something on the bucket list , and he's now set to finally tick it off. At ONE 170 on Jan. 24, he will make his debut with the promotion when he faces Masakazu Imanari in an openweight submission grappling contest at the Impact Arena.

Marcelo Garcia is out to prove that he hasn't lost a step and as usual, he's preparing to systematically break his opponent down by staying one step ahead of him at all times.

He spoke about this and his approach in a recent interview on the JitsCast in the lead-up to his promotional bow that takes place in Bangkok, Thailand:

"So, when I fight, I don't like to give the odds like to my opponent where we are mostly even. I want to have the most advantage. That's kind of like a part of my study. And I pick those moves that gives me more chance to win than my opponent."

Watch the full interview below:

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Marcelo Garcia isn't coming back just to tick a box

This return means much more to Marcelo Garcia than a simple comeback just to scratch an itch.

Stepping back into the world that he left behind, whilst he has continued to have a huge impact on the sport, wasn't a decision that he made lightly.

Garcia is excited and motivated to return so that he can showcase his skills once again and prove a point to himself.

He may be 41 years old but this grappling legend still believes that he has plenty to give to the sport that he made his name in.