Marcelo Returns: Top 5 Dream Matchups
Marcelo Returns: Top 5 Dream Matchups
Marcelo recently came onto the WNO podcast and announced that he wants to fight at ADCC 2023.
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Marcelo recently came onto the WNO podcast and announced that he wants to fight at ADCC 2023. This is huge news and grappling fans are anxious to see the goat back in action.
"I want to compete again — obviously now its harder to think about competition. The folks have changed now."
Vagner Rocha
"I'm a huge fan, but I'll be first in line if they call for someone to go against him."
If there's one person who wants a matchup with Marcelo the most it's Vagner Rocha. For years he has been respectfully requesting a matchup with the goat. Let's rewind to 2019 when Vagner formally asked on our podcast.
Vagner Gets In Marcelo's Head And Costs Him ADCC Gold
So what? a lot of people want a match against the Marcelo, what makes Vagner so special? Because Vagner cost Marcelo ADCC gold in 2009. During the finals against Pablo Popovitch, Vagner began shouting for 20 minutes straight, provoking Marcelo and accusing him of stalling out the match. Frustrated by Vagner's remarks, Marcelo decided to engage. With short time remaining, Pablo was able to pass and secure points, ultimately winning the final and becoming the 2009 ADCC champion.
Andre Galvao
Could this matchup bring both legends out of retirement? These men only faced off once during Brasileiros in 2006. Both times Marcelo got the victory, once by points in their weight class and by submission in the absolute. However, we have never seen these two monsters face-off in no-gi. After Galvao's super-fight against Pena, this would be the battle of the goats.
JT Torres
JT is currently ranked #1 in today's no-gi 77KG division and fans want to know if Marcelo can hang with the younger generation. Marcelo dominated the 77kg and 82kg divisions as a competitor. Can he come back take back his throne? If Marcelo does come back he will have JT to face at the top.
Garry Tonon
“Garry Tonon? What can I tell you, that guy is a human highlight reel. He’s in some of the most amazing matches I’ve ever seen." –John Danaher
Garry Tonon is one of the best scramblers in history. Although his dynamic movements might appear to be reckless, Tonon calculates every risk he takes and uses the scramble to create openings. World-class opponents have come forward off record to admit that they are "nervous" about scrambling with Garry because they understand how dangerous he really is. Garry's speed, technique, and experience will serve him well going into a potential matchup against Marcelo. Everyone is curious how well Marcelo's old school techniques are going to hold up against the DDS.
Renato Canuto
You can't have Garry without Renato. Having the KASAI golden boy going up against Marcelo Garcia would guarantee fireworks. Renato is incredibly unpredictable, constantly overwhelming his opponents with his guard passing style. Is his energetic passing going to be too much for Marcelo? I hope we find out!
