Marcelo Garcia (grappler)

Marcelo Garcia (born January 17, 1983) is a Brazilian submission grappler, a 5th degree black belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner and coach. A highly decorated competitor, Garcia is widely considered to be one of the best grapplers in the world and arguably the best pound for pound submission grappler.^[2] Holding 5 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship and 4 ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship titles,^[2] Garcia is a member of the IBJJF Hall of Fame ^[3] and the third BJJ athlete to be inducted into the ADCC Hall of Fame.^[4]

Marcelo Garcia was born on 17 January 1983 in Formiga, Minas Gerais a small city in southeast Brazil.^[1] Garcia won the World Championships at all belt levels (blue, purple, brown)^[5] before receiving his black belt from Fabio Gurgel who he trained with in Sao Paulo, Brazil.^[6][7]

At K-1 HERO'S Korea 2007, Garcia made his MMA debut.^[8] He lost this against Dae Won Kim twenty seconds into the second round by doctor's stoppage, due to a cut above his eye.^[8] In September 2008, Garcia opened up a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school in Pembroke Pines, a city in South Florida located between Miami and Fort Lauderdale. ^[5][9] In September 2009, Garcia opened an academy in Manhattan, New York City.^[5][10] In November 2011, Garcia retired from competition, that same year he became the third person to be inducted into the ADCC Hall of Fame as a result of his record-setting four gold medals in his own weight division and his performances in the absolute division.^[11]

Garcia later opened the first Marcelo Garcia academy in Hawaii in 2024.^[12]

Garcia announced on November 11, 2024 that he had signed an exclusive contract with ONE Championship to make his return to professional grappling at one of their events.^[13]

Garcia competed against Masakazu Imanari at ONE 170 on January 24, 2025.^[14] He won the match by submission with a north-south choke.^[15]

On January 19, 2023, Garcia revealed that he had been diagnosed with stomach cancer and would undergo chemotherapy and surgery to remove the tumour.^{[16] [17]}After months of treatment and a successful surgery, Garcia had made a recovery.^[18]

Mitsuyo "Count Koma" Maeda → Carlos Gracie Sr. → Helio Gracie → Rolls Gracie → Romero "Jacare" Cavalcanti → Fabio Gurgel → Marcelo Garcia^[1][2]

Garcia has won five world championship titles in Brazilian jiu-jitsu as a black belt in the middle-weight category.^{[5] [19]} He has many submission grappling titles, including the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship. At ADCC, Garcia has won the 66–76 kg division four times (2003/2005/2007/2011)^[2],^[20] been awarded the most technical fighter twice (2003 and 2007) and won the best fight award in 2005.^[21] In 2005, he finished in third place in the absolute (open weight) division and in 2007 finished second in the absolute division. In ADCC 2009, Garcia finished second in his weight division, losing by points to Pablo Popovitch, whom he had defeated in the two previous finals.^[22]

^{[2] [23] [1]}

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• AJ Agazarm
• Herbert Burns
• Hannette Staack