![Gabi Garcia [Image credits: @gabigarciaofficial on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/03/b7ab4-16788646409986-1920.jpg)
![Gabi Garcia [Image credits: @gabigarciaofficial on Instagram]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns%3Axlink='http%3A//www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20viewBox='0%200%2010%206.25'%3E%3Cfilter%20id='b'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20stdDeviation='.5'%3E%3C/feGaussianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20type='discrete'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20tableValues='1%201'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20filter='url(%23b)'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAYACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABjAAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABxAAAgEDAgcAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgMAAQQGBQcREhMUIjJEAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEBREAAQQCAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgABAyERQSJhgf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8AnmI77ZnqOYWWj9wAWyVsuVcFDzGFBKhC2UFu62SdU/NHtX5wiJFljAZjZhqq8ZNDkA5Zt67X/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Gabi Garcia does not identify as transgender.
The Brazilian is one of the most well-known and successful jiu-jitsu practitioners in the female black belt divisions. She is a member of the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) Hall of Fame and also holds a perfect record in MMA.
Standing 6 ft. 2 inches tall and competing at around 235 pounds, the four-time ADCC Submission Fighting World Champion was the victim of a wave of fake news that spread on social media regarding her gender. Due to her physique, the fighter has always been the victim of trolls on the internet.
Gabi Garcia is reportedly set to make her comeback to MMA in 2023. While she publicly announced her retirement from jiu-jitsu at the IBJJF World Championships in December 2021, it seems she has no intentions of retiring from combat sports entirely.
In an Instagram post, the legendary fighter announced:
"Back to the ring by doing my part for this division and other divisions for women in this sport! I can’t end my MMA career without my goal to open up opportunities for all divisions... For everyone who thinks my career is done, I have bad news for you…"
Was Gabi Garcia found guilty of using banned substances?
In 2014, Gabi Garcia was stripped of her 2013 IBJJF World Championship medals after the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) released a statement about a failed drug test. The nine-time IBJJF champion is known for her large frame and powerful grappling, affirming what many suspected regarding the potential usage of banned substances.
The legendary BJJ competitor was found guilty of using a female fertility drug known as Clomiphene, which is on the USADA banned substance list. The drug works by limiting the effects of estrogen and restoring testosterone levels to normal, similar to Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) treatment in men.
However, there was some controversy surrounding the legitimacy of the guilty verdict. Many pointed out that the athletic benefits of Clomiphene are extremely limited when used by women, except for helping with female infertility.
This would mean it is possible that Garcia was not using the drug to gain a competitive advantage, and that seemed to be the conclusion the USADA came to. The drug-testing agency released a subsequent statement, confirming that they did not believe Garcia was knowingly cheating.
