![Marcelo Garcia dedicates his comeback to his family. [Photo from ONE Championship]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/01/7b63f-17376332295594-1920.jpg)
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Marcelo Garcia has won everything there is to win in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and he feels his next match bears more meaning to his family than to himself. After announcing his return to action, the BJJ legend will make his ONE Championship debut against Japanese icon Masakazu Imanari in an openweight submission grappling match on the stacked ONE 170 card at the Impact Arena.
Ahead of his promotional debut on Friday, Garcia told ONE Championship he would dedicate his inspiring comeback to his wife and kids.
Garcia added that he always dreamt of providing the best possible childhood for his kids, and he figured fighting at the highest level of the sport was one way of fulfilling that promise.
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"I know what makes me feel the best in my life – if I can give a better childhood to my kids. That’s my biggest wish. So when I trained again, I felt like, ‘Okay, now I can give a better life for my family because now I can work every day. Now I can do that thing that’s probably the best thing that I know how to do,'" said Marcelo Garcia.
The nine-time BJJ world champion is one of the most decorated submission grapplers in history, and his decision to leave the sport in 2011 ended an absurd era of dominance for the Brazilian icon.
Garcia, however, hit one of the toughest periods in his life when he was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2023. Ever the fighter, Garcia beat the disease and announced he would return to action when he signed with ONE Championship in late 2024.
Marcelo Garcia plans to put on an absolute show at ONE 170 against Masakazu Imanari
While he may look like the most calm soul off the mats, Marcelo Garcia is anything but nice inside the cage.
Garcia said he plans to blow the roof off Impact Arena when he makes his highly anticipated return to action against Masakazu Imanari.
Speaking at the press conference for ONE 170, Garcia said:
"I'm not here to waste my time, and I don't want to waste people's time. I believe I'm going to play the best fight possible, because I have 10 minutes, and I'm going to do everything I can to win."
