Marcelo Garcia admits thirst to compete has been driving him mad 'for the last 10 years': "I've been missing it a lot"

BJJ legend Marcelo Garcia will face Japanese icon Masakazu Imanari in an Openweight submission grappling match on Jan. 24 as part of the loaded ONE 170 card inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

Ahead of that match, Garcia appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show recently to talk about his comeback and his excitement He said:

"I just want to have that feeling to just be out there again. Thay was something that I've been missing for the last 10 years. I've been missing it a lot."

Watch Marcelo Garcia's full interview here:

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The Brazilian great will bring his captivating resume, which includes being a nine-time BJJ world champion and an inductee of the IBJJF and ADCC Hall of Fame.

Garcia also boasts a high finish rate, which makes his impending clash with Imanari more exciting.

Marcelo Garcia reveals how he resurrected his legendary career

Apart from showcasing his elite grappling skills to the world's largest martial arts organization, the 41-year-old superstar shared another reason why he wanted to come out of retirement.

In an interview with the Jordan Teaches Jiu-Jitsu, Garcia stated he wants his kids to see him compete, and he explained:

"Since I had kids, I always felt like I wanted my kids to see me compete. I always had that wish. And obviously, when they were little, it was too hard to think about taking the time off from fatherhood to go compete. I knew they were going to miss me if I decided to go compete and started to focus on my stuff, on my diet, on my training sessions, so I couldn't do this. But [now that] they're getting older, I feel like now comes the right time."

About the author

Anatoly is an MMA writer with six years of experience. He covers ONE Championship at Sportskeeda, where he has contributed over 1000 pieces. He previously served as the lead MMA writer for BetMGM’s blog.

Anatoly holds a bachelor's degree in communication, which he feels has had a significant impact on his career.

Jon Jones’ submission win over Lyoto Machida at UFC 140 in 2011 got him hooked to MMA. His favorite fighters include Eduard Folayang, Demetrious Johnson, Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, and Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Anatoly provides Sportskeeda with exclusive pieces and has previously interviewed the former ONE flyweight MMA world champion, Adriano Moraes. While writing his pieces, he follows an extensive research process, referring only to credible sources like the UFC’s official website, Sherdog, and ESPN. He also likes to provide insights to his readers by keeping in mind important pillars of communication like media literacy and audience dynamics.

Anatoly advocates for a healthy and fit lifestyle by including boxing in his routine. He also loves to travel.

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Edited by Himakshu Vyas