Marcelo Garcia, a legendary Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor, will come of retirement in January 2025 to compete in ONE Championship’s submission grappling competitors.
Regarded by many as the one biggest BJJ athlete in historical past, the 41-year-old’s return to competitors after a bout with abdomen Most cancers.
In talking with MMA Combating forward of his return, Garcia addressed a scorching matter within the sport of submission grappling: steroid use. On the middle of the main focus is arguably probably the most gifted and adorned no-gi competitor, Gordon Ryan.
“He’s on the high proper now, but it surely’s onerous to say he’s the best of all-time,” Garcia instructed MMA Combating. “I don’t need to be a hypocrite right here. I do know I’ve carried out so much. I’ve carried out so much being the dimensions I’m, 170 kilos, and going through the most effective in my weight class and absolutely the, guys that have been greater than me, and imagining that many individuals have been utilizing steroids. And I think about a lot of this new era on the market are utilizing steroids.”
Ryan is a seven-time ADCC Submission wrestling world champion, three-time IBJJF No-Gi World champion and a four-time Eddie Bravo Invitational champion.
“If he continues to compete and nobody beats him, and continues to have the performances he’s placing on, you possibly can’t say [he’s not the GOAT],” Garcia stated. “And he’s younger, too, in fact he may be that man. However I can say all I’ve carried out was steroid-free. I don’t know that’s the case with Gordon [laughs]. To me, that’s a decisive level, if somebody wanted additional assist or not. Like individuals say, ‘that individual didn’t come alone’ [to compete]. I used to be alone each single time, solely with my coaching and my method. And when individuals say, ‘Oh, however everyone makes use of it.’ To not me. That excuse doesn’t make sense to me.
“And that’s one of many explanation why I’m coming again to combating as a result of I need to show you don’t want that. And the way will we show that? To me, if somebody has used [steroids] as soon as, he’s already contaminated. You’ve cheated the sport. I’ve to defend that as a result of that’s the way it all the time was for me. I want the younger ones — my youngsters, if in the future they determine to compete and achieve success, I don’t need them to rely upon that.”
