BJJ world champion Gabi Garcia is set to make her much awaited MMA debut. Garcia talked to GNP TV 1 and said that she’s training at Kings MMA and already has a debut set. It will be at the NYE card in Japan which will also feature Fedor Emelianenko’s return to MMA.

Fedor Emelianenko announced on Saturday night that his first fight will not be for the UFC but for a start-up Japanese promotion headed by former Pride FC boss Nobuyuki Sakakibara. The event will take place in Tokyo on New Year’s Eve and will take place on Spike TV.

The news of Pride’s (with a new name) return is attracting many BJJ players in search of better condition than the UFC. Pride FC rules were more attractive for BJJ players because of the 10 minute first round and more time given for ground work. Word is that Andre Galvao and 2015 ADCC champion Orlando Sanchez could be part of the show.

Fedor, Sakakibara and Gabi Garcia

Gabi Garcia said she didn’t know the name of her opponent, but that she’s a judoka from China.

The name of Chinese 2008 Judo Olympic gold medalist Tong Wen has come up.

Gabi Garcia, is the most dominant female BJJ competitor in history, however in 2015 she was defeated twice which hadn’t happened in the past 6 years.

2015 competitor of the year Mackenzie Dern first defeated Gabi in the finals of the World Pro Open Weight, then Gabi lost to Jessica Oliveira in the semi finals of the 2015 ADCC. She started the year well though winning double gold at the Europeans.

On February 2014 the USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency), organization responsible for testing IBJJF’s athletes for Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED) announced that Gabi Garcia had used such substances during the course of her 2013 campaign. She was stripped of her titles for that year, however she was found to have used PED’s unknowingly and as such was not suspended from the organisation.

Gabi has recently lost a lot of weight and was able to drop under 100 kilos.

Check out the clip below!