Marcelo Garcia reflects on momentous return to action at ONE 170 

After 14 years, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu superstar Marcelo Garcia made a sensational return to grappling action at ONE 170 on January 24 in Bangkok, Thailand. 

Garcia needed less than five minutes to submit fellow grappling icon Masukazu Imanari with a north-south choke in their openweight clash at Impact Arena. The victory marked his first competitive outing since 2011.   

It’s been a long road back to action for Garcia. He overcame an arduous battle with stomach cancer, which reignited his ambition to compete. Now, he feels back to his very best – and that’s something he isn’t taking for granted.  

“It was very emotional. It was an amazing show. And to be able to be a part of this, to be able to do grappling between those fights, I feel very honored. And obviously, it’s been so long that I am not doing this, almost 14 years ago,” the 42-year-old said. 

“You guys can’t imagine how I feel. I’m feeling very young, but of course, with a lot more experience [now] than when I was 20 years old. So, it feels amazing.” 

What’s next for Marcelo Garcia?

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu extraordinaire Marcelo Garcia showed he still had what it takes to duel with the best of them at ONE 170. 

Garcia dominated Masakazu Imanari in under five minutes. But where does the 42-year-old’s 2025 go from here? 

Fortunately, submission grappling is in a fine place in ONE Championship. There is a wealth of names for him to compete against in openweight clashes. One of those could be another icon in former ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion Shinya Aoki. 

The Japanese star is no stranger to openweight matchups, having beaten former bantamweight MMA king John Lineker in January 2023. So if Garcia wants a showdown with another legend, Aoki would be a fitting name. 

If his path diverts him elsewhere, he could find fun competition in the likes of new arrivals Dante Leon and Cole Abate. Leon is no stranger to moving weightclasses. He’s previously outfought heavyweight opposition, while Abate would love the chance to assert himself further in ONE Championship with a legendary scalp.