Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu icon Marcelo Garcia’s wildly anticipated return to competition is officially on the calendar.
On January 24, 2025, at ONE 170, the decorated Brazilian will square off with Japanese superstar Masakazu “Ashikan-Judan” Imanari in an openweight submission grappling tilt at Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
At 41 years old, Garcia is widely considered the greatest BJJ competitor of all time.
He is a five-time IBJJF World Champion and a four-time ADCC World Champion, all while competing in what is commonly regarded as the sport’s most difficult weight division.
Furthermore, the Minas Gerais native has made multiple podium appearances in the openweight division at the ADCC World Championships, employing his trademark butterfly guard, arm drags, and guillotine chokes to cement himself as a pound-for-pound legend.
Garcia’s clash with Imanari will be his first competition appearance since he submitted three of four opponents to win gold at the 2011 ADCC World Championships.
Since then, he’s largely focused his attention on raising his two children, growing his world-renowned BJJ academy in New York City, and overcoming a battle against cancer that left him out of the training room for much of 2023.
Understandably, submission grappling enthusiasts are celebrating Garcia’s return to action in ONE Championship.
Standing across from him will be another decorated and experienced veteran of the grappling arts.
Since making his MMA debut in 2000, Imanari has been a mainstay of Asia’s most prominent MMA organizations and enjoyed a six-fight run in ONE Championship.
Notably, the vast majority of “Ashikan-Judan’s” career victories have come by way of submission. An A-level catch wrestler and a BJJ black belt, he is a specialist in leg locks, famed for his trademark “Imanari Roll” that is used by countless grapplers today to enter into heel hook attacks.
While it remains to be seen how Garcia will perform after years away, one thing is for sure – legions of fans around the globe will be tuning in when he locks horns with Imanari on January 24.
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