"Now I have the freedom" - Marcelo Garcia on coming out of retirement to compete in ONE Championship

Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) legend Marcelo Garcia clarified his decision to come out of retirement and restart his submission grappling journey with ONE Championship.

In an interview with the world's largest martial arts promotion, Garcia stated:

"It's been so long that I haven't been able to do everything that I would like to do. I feel like now I have the freedom to just do all the things that make me happy."

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At 41 years old, Garcia's determination to mix it up with the newer generations of BJJ and submission grappling competitors is not all that surprising after revealing his stomach cancer diagnosis in January 2023.

The five-time IBJJF world champion, who retired in 2011, underwent surgery to remove the tumor and battled cancer into remission thanks to multiple chemotherapy sessions — all while making an effort to live up to his responsibilities as a father.

Because of his illness, Garcia was unable to hone his craft. With renewed fire in his heart, he is raring to prove his legendary status in 'The Gentle Art' under the ONE banner.

Marcelo Garcia becomes third major signing to ONE's submission grappling ranks in recent months

In addition to Marcelo Garcia's impending arrival, the home of martial arts recently announced the signings of BJJ sensations Cole Abate and Dante Leon.

Abate, 19, is widely viewed as one of the next big things in the sport after qualifying for the ADCC World Championship at just 16 years old. He also owns wins over world-renowned BJJ practitioners such as Estevan Martinez, Deandre Corbe, and Geo 'Freakazoid' Martinez.

Meanwhile, Leon, 29, is out to dazzle ONE fans with his incredible BJJ arsenal, which has earned him two gold medals in the World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship and three gold medals in the IBJJF Pan American No-Gi Championship.