Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Marcelo Garcia, Grappling Legend, Victorious In Comeback Match At ONE 170

Marcelo Garcia, Grappling Legend, Victorious In Comeback Match At ONE 170

Grappling legend and 9-time world champion Marcelo Garcia won his comeback match at ONE 170 after more than a decade away from jiu-jitsu competition

Jan 24, 2025 by Joe Gilpin
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Marcelo Garcia, who is considered by many to be the greatest grappler of all time, was victorious in his return to competition after a nearly 13-year layoff, defeating Masakazu Imanari by north south choke at ONE Championship 170. Marcelo is a 9-time World Champion, with five titles in IBJJF black belt competition and 4 ADCC titles to his credit.

Marcelo, who now lives and teaches in Hawaii, looked like vintage Marcelo, securing one of his trademark submissions in just a few minutes. Marcelo joined The FloGrappling Show recently and discussed how underused this move is - catch it here.

Marcelo Garcia Discusses The North South Choke

Marcelo Garcia's Favorite Submissions

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After the match, Marcelo - always a bastion of positivity and hope within the community - delivered a message to the audience to believe in themselves and their dreams. He spoke about sharing his problems and receiving love back, and urged those listening to share their difficulties with their loved ones so they too could be helped as he was. Having him back like this is a great thing for us all.

After the match, Marcelo respectfully requested a match with Shinya Aoki since they were originally meant to face off before scheduling conflicts arose.

Not only was this Marcelo Garcia’s first match in over a decade, it was his first match to happen since he beat stomach cancer, which he is in total remission from. This was also Marcelo's first time competing in front of his children, which he pointed to as a significant driver of motivation for the return.

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