Marcelo Garcia

Marcelo Garcia is widely regarded as the greatest pound-for-pound Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor the sport has ever seen.

Born and raised in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, Garcia’s martial arts journey began in karate before finding his passion for the grappling arts, first with judo, then with BJJ. He instantly fell in love with BJJ and soon committed his life to training, learning, and competing as much as he could.

Garcia quietly rose through the ranks in Brazil, but his true breakout moment came in 2003 at the prestigious ADCC World Championships – an event that is considered the pinnacle of no-gi submission grappling. Still relatively unknown at the time, the 20-year-old shocked the world, submitting three of his four opponents to capture gold in the talent-laden 77-kilogram division.

For the next 14 years, Garcia would cement himself as an undeniable all-time great. In addition to winning three more ADCC World Titles, he won five IBJJF World Titles in the gi, and he did it all with an absurdly high submission rate.

Beyond his unparalleled success on paper, the Brazilian made significant contributions to the technical evolution of submission grappling. His trademark butterfly guard, arm-drag back-takes, and guillotine chokes have all been studied by the generations following him, and countless competitors still mimic his style today.

In 2011, Garcia won his final ADCC World Title with an incredible, submission-filled performance. He subsequently stepped away from competition to focus on his academy in New York City and raise his two children. He continued to coach a number of BJJ’s top athletes and remained a respected voice in the community.

In 2023, the BJJ community rallied around Garcia following the news that he had been diagnosed with stomach cancer. After a year-long battle and multiple grueling chemotherapy sessions, he was able to finally return to the mats – and his time away from jiu-jitsu inspired him to compete again.

Now back to full health and training full-time at his new academy in Hawaii, the 41-year-old is ready to prove he still has what it takes to compete with the best modern-day submission grapplers in ONE Championship.