MMA Knockout

(Exclusive) BJJ Legend Marcelo Garcia on Comeback Match & Future Plans after ONE 170

"I want the people to know that I never said I retired."
Drew Beaupre|
(ONE Championship)

Set for his first grappling match since 2011, ADCC and IBJJF Hall of Famer Marcelo Garcia spoke with MMA KO’s Drew Beaupré before he returns to competition against Masakazu Imanari at ONE 170.

"People Kind Of Retired Me"

Garcia’s last grappling match was a submission-win over Leo Vieira at ADCC in 2011, and while the 43-year-old says he feels better than ever ahead of his return against Imanari he does admit that it’s been interesting to reflect on how he feels now compared to when he first started competing in grappling tournaments.

“I feel amazing. And when you think about the time, I feel like when you’re younger time counts more. And the older you get, like more the time you realize like it’s just about time. Nothing changes so much, but I cannot deny like how much new this feels to me. Because it’s been almost 14 years, so still feels very new. And when I say new, like I’m feeling a little bit like younger again, because I have the same feeling when I was like 16, I was not used to competition when I was 16...It’s different than before, at the same time it’s the same feeling. But, I also know that I know what to do over there. So it’s very interesting, this moment for me.”

ONE Championship Adds Huge MMA Bouts Featuring Ex-Champions to ONE 171: Qatar


The ADCC and IBJJF wants to make sure that fans understand that he never formally retired from grappling, and the adversity he’s faced in the time since his last match – from losing a child to overcoming stomach cancer – makes him appreciate the opportunity to compete again more than ever.

“I want the people to know that I never said I retired. So people kind of retired me, and I always felt like I wanna go back to compete. But my kids were too little, and there was a really hard [time] about my twins was born very premature, so it was really hard, both of my kids. And I end up losing my son. So it was really hard at the beginning. So I couldn’t take time for myself, everything was for them. And I still do everything for them, but now that they’re older, now that I have even like a older son, my second child, and I have a daughter 11 years old and a son 9 years old, now they’re getting older and I start to feel like I have more time for myself. So I feel like now I’m able to do this again, I feel like it will be my chance to do this again. And coming out from last year, I cannot deny – I went through a really dark place. The worst feeling that you could ever have, not being able to be around your kids, to raise a kid, to see them grow. That was like a really dark place. And to be able to be in a moment that now I’m going through a tournament that I believe I’m gonna do everything I can to win, because there is a chance that I can go there and defeat an opponent and to have the celebration, to have my kids watch me compete live, ‘cause my family is gonna be there in Thailand, it’s a very special moment for me.”

"I Feel Appreciated By ONE"

Garcia fielded plenty of offers for return matches during his time away from grappling, but ONE Championship’s efforts to provide a major stage for grappling and his conversations with the promotion convinced the Brazilian that ONE provided the ideal opportunity for his return.

“ONE is such a big event. And they’re gonna be able to display on such a big stage, a lot of people are gonna be able to watch my compete. This is just the beginning, just one part of it. But at the same time, I felt so appreciated from them. I felt like every time I talk, every time we talk, every time they come with a proposal I feel like they wanna take care of me. They wanna appreciate like to have me on the tournament. So that was huge for me…Chatri, to be like a CEO that cares about the sports, so involved with the martial arts, also helped to feel like more valued than ever. He’s very respectful, from him...So I feel appreciated by ONE, I feel so respected for everything I did, and to be able to talk to people I know, to people that I value and like so much the sports, that’s why we were able to make this happen. Because, thank God, in this last like 14 years I’ve had proposals from everybody, but never had the proposal I had from ONE Championship. So I feel very appreciated.”

(Exclusive) BJJ Legend Marcelo Garcia on Comeback Match & Future Plans after ONE 170
Garcia will compete for the first time since 2011 at ONE 170. | (ONE Championship)

“We all know that MMA is bigger than grappling. It’s bigger on the audience. More people watch them. I don’t think more people train MMA than do jiu-jitsu, because it’s hard for regular people to go do MMA at a high level, but people can train jiu-jitsu at a high level and they still go back to work and still go enjoy their family…They can train hard. And I know like MMA can display a big event, and to be able to do grappling at an MMA event in such a big show, that’s huge for me. So I don’t think there’s any better way to come back to compete after what I just mentioned to you before, that was a tough year...I believe I can still go there and put on a very exciting match. Because I believe that’s what people want to see. Guaranteed to win, I don’t think no one has, and I never have my entire life. I never once have promised like ‘I’m gonna win, I came to win. I came here this weekend because I think I’m gonna beat everyone in my bracket.’…I believe I can go there and I promise I’m gonna give everything, and that’s what people want to see. They want to see someone that goes there and puts on an exciting match…When I’m in a match, I believe I gave everything I have.”

"I’m Not Gonna Run Away From His Ground Game"

Imanari wasn’t necessarily the first opponent proposed for Garcia’s debut with ONE Championship, but the Brazilian is excited to test his skills against an MMA veteran that's known well-known for his grappling prowess.

“It was not really like the first option, we thought about me against Shinya Aoki or someone closer to my age, even little younger. But it took a little bit longer to finalize the details in the negotiations to sign to ONE, and they end up signing another match with somebody else. But those are the options that ONE give to me, and then I believe I was never someone that choose my opponents. That was never like the most important thing, but I felt like that a was a good opponent to come back to compete after 14 years. But I really have like a high standard, I wanna go one match at a time, but I have really big goals. I don’t think this is gonna be the last one, I wanna compete a lot more after this. And who knows who is gonna be my next opponent.”

(Exclusive) Nico Carrillo Targets "Vicious Knockout" in Interim Title Bout at ONE 170

“It will be very interesting for me, because I’ve never met him before…I know he’s somebody that always looks for the submission, many times he has his move [Imanari roll], and that’s the first thing that he tries. But different than his opponents in MMA, I’m not gonna run away from his ground game. I’m gonna go there and I’m gonna test his ground game. I’m the one that’s probably gonna go there and test his ground game more than most, because I’m not taking a step back. So it will be interesting for me too, and I believe people will appreciate that. But I respect him for how much he’s done in the sports, he has been a good competitor for so long, so I respect and I give credit to him for that and to take this fight.”

"This Is A Blast For Me"

He may be taking things one match at a time, but with his return against Imanari in sight Garcia is certainly thinking about some of the future options available to him now that he's joined ONE Championship.

“I’ve definitely learned to just don’t overwhelm myself, because if I keep thinking so far ahead that can literally trigger something that is not good. You start to think like so far ahead, I take one step at a time. I’m definitely focused on this match…I know ONE is such a big organization that has signed up so many new people. Looking forward in the future to be able to face these people, even young people, but I don’t think people realize that I’m someone that is very open to compete against gi, no gi, in any division. I compete against some big guys, I can put a very interesting match for people to watch. I don’t have to be just in my division, I can go compete against any weight, any size.”

(Exclusive) Champion Fabricio Andrade "Very Excited" for MMA Return at ONE 170

“I wanna thank all the support, I wanna thank ONE Championship, I wanna thank my sponsor Fuji Mats, who helped me build my gym over here in Hawaii...But I wanna thank everybody that gives so much love, everybody that we have to see me come back to go compete. I wanna let people know that I appreciate the concern, people like ‘Oh, I don’t wanna see him go compete against young people.’ But, I always felt like I wanna go back and compete. That was never something I’ve been forced to do. And I want people to respect that I enjoy doing this again...This is a blast for me. I feel so thankful to be able to do this in my old age right now than when I was young. And I wanna let people know that I appreciate all the thoughts, all the love that they send to me, and then I’m so happy to be able to go over there and I feel like people are still gonna keep enjoying watching me compete. Doesn’t matter which result, come out for any fights of mine, that’s what gives me peace to be able to go there and then try again...It doesn’t matter the result, my family is still gonna love me. And also I always give the peace to go there and try my best, I was never afraid to go compete. And I feel like I have that from my fans too, people that watch me go compete. They know I’m gonna go out there and give my best. And I wanna thank them for the opportunity to compete one more time.”

Garcia's return match against Imanari will feature as part of a stacked ONE 170 card that also boasts three title fights, and the event is set to go down at Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand on January 24.

More ONE Championship & MMA News

• (Exclusive) Paul Hughes Embraces "Destiny" in PFL Main Event with Usman Nurmagomedov

• KnuckleMania V Preview: Eddie Alvarez vs. Jeremy Stephens Tops BKFC Tripleheader

• Conor McGregor Calls Paul Brothers ‘Side Jobs’; Logan’s Witty Response to UFC Star

• ‘My First Scar,’ Payton Talbott Talks Massive Upset Loss at UFC 311

Stick with MMA Knockout for more daily coverage of the UFC, MMA, and Boxing.

Follow MMA Knockout on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Published
Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

Home/News