The MMA return of Gabi Garcia has been cancelled, due to the devastating floods that have struck Garcia’s hometown of Porto Alegre, Brazil, as well as numerous other cities in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

Garcia was scheduled to face Barbara Nepomuceno at Centurion FC on May 18.

However, on Thursday, the promotion announced that the heavyweight championship main event would be called off because “it would not be morally right” for Garcia to compete while her family and hometown were directly affected by the disaster.

Garcia explained to MMA Fighting that it wasn’t her intent to have the fight cancelled:

It wasn’t my choice but if it were, I would rather be human than be selfish and fight for a belt.

It wasn’t my call, it was the promotion’s decision.
The promoter told me the fight was going to be postponed for a future card.

My managers told me to keep training because the fight will happen soon.
I couldn’t sleep when I found out on Wednesday that the fight was going to be cancelled.

I felt terrible.

She further clarified the situation in her hometown:

In my opinion, if I had won the fight, I wouldn’t celebrate the belt.
That’s the only title I don’t have in my career and I want it really bad, but I wouldn’t celebrate it while my family is suffering and there are people dying in the South.

Many childhood friends lost everything and are living in shelters.
I see my cousins crying because they’ve lost everything. That could be an excuse not to fight.

I think it would be OK for me to say I wouldn’t fight because my head isn’t right, but I don’t give excuses.

Nobody knew at the time, but I won my first ADCC four days after my brother died.
If you fight and give excuses after a loss, you take the merit away from your opponent and I would never do this.

 

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