Marcelo Garcia thrilled to join in on the evolution of submission grappling ahead of 170 debut: "I can be part of that"

Having won his last ADCC world title in 2011, before temporarily stepping away from competition, Marcelo Garcia has seen submission grappling changing a lot since he was right at the top of the sport.

Jiu-Jitsu has continued to grow in popularity alongside the ascension of mixed martial arts in the past twenty years.

Submission grappling, however, has made progress in the last few years.

ONE Championship has been a part of that by crowning four world champions and featuring some of the best grapplers in the world in the promotion.

With Garcia announcing that he will return to action at ONE 170 on Jan. 24 where he will face Masakazu Imanari, the Brazilian is excited to rejoin the sport in such an important period.

In a recent interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, he spoke about coming back into the fold at a great time:

"I just want to enjoy everything that you just mentioned. I can see this sport growing, and I feel like I can be part of that. I feel like, for example, where jiu-jitsu is today, it just feels better. It feels more appreciated to go compete in this level of event."

Check out the full interview below:

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Marcelo Garcia brings prestige to the sport

Like any sport, submission grappling wouldn't be where it is today without pioneers like multi-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Marcelo Garcia.

The 41-year-old is already a living legend of Jiu-Jitsu but now he's out to remind people what he is capable of.

Garcia wants to show that he still has plenty more to give before he eventually calls it a day.

Submission grappling is incredibly exciting right now with all of the developments that are taking place.

That's only more true with a legend like Garcia making his return to action at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on Jan. 24.