“They value me” - BJJ icon Marcelo Garcia says ONE Championship is the perfect platform for his return to competition

Fans of the grappling arts were filled with joy following news of Marcelo Garcia coming out of retirement and signing with ONE Championship.

'Marcelinho', after all, is practically Brazilian jiu-jitsu royalty. The 41-year-old legend is globally loved not only for being a true innovator in the sport but also for being its best ambassador.

The last time Garcia competed was way back in 2011, but he never stopped sharing his knowledge and passion for 'The Gentle Art'.

Given the magnitude of his highly-anticipated return, the IBJJF and ADCC Hall of Famer believe it's only fitting that it will take place in the home of martial arts.

Speaking to ONE in an exclusive interview, Marcelo Garcia says the promotion's elite submission grappling ranks and extremely warm welcome made him feel right at home.

“I just like to be appreciated. I spent so much time in jiu-jitsu. In competition. I feel I always have given my best, and I feel like the appreciation from ONE Championship came at the right time. They value me. They value my time."

He added:

“And reality is I can name every organization that was trying to convince me to go compete. But then ONE, especially with Leozinho, Leo Vieira is somebody that is close to me, close to my family. He came in for us."

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Marcelo Garcia says ONE shares his values when it comes to martial arts

While Marcelo Garcia is intrigued with the match-ups available for him in ONE, what drew him in was the company's ethos when it comes to presenting martial arts to its essence.

The five-time IBJJF world champion admitted it wasn't a hard decision to join the promotion considering their values and beliefs both aligned.

“If I wanna come back, I need to come back to an organization that values my work, that values my time, that appreciates the athlete. And that’s what I felt with ONE.”

Who would you like to see Marcelo Garcia go up against in his ONE debut?