Today, December 5, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu legend Marcelo Garcia takes on Lachlan Giles at ONE Fight Night 38 – a lightweight matchup that blends eras and styles.

Garcia is widely considered one of the greatest to ever compete, with four ADCC titles and five IBJJF World Championships cementing his place among the sport’s elite.
But his return to the mats was far from guaranteed.

After being diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2023, he had to fight a very different kind of battle.
His comeback win at ONE 170 – where he submitted Masakazu Imanari – was both emotional and victorious.

Here is what he had to say in a recent interview with ONE Championship:

I feel blessed that I was able to show [my skills] in a really high-level match, in a big competition like ONE Championship.

I feel like that was the highlight of my life.
It was just like a dream come true.

That performance earned Garcia a US$50,000 bonus and confirmed that his legendary story wasn’t finished yet.
When the conversation turned to who should welcome him back for his next outing, there was one name he couldn’t ignore:

I was backstage the first time Lachlan competed at ADCC, and he displayed amazing submissions in the absolute that day…

That made me feel like I want to test myself against someone who showed such beautiful Jiu-Jitsu.

He was surprised to learn the fans had been dreaming of this matchup just as long:

I didn’t realize all the people were expecting to see this match.
That made me more inspired to go against him.

I’m happy to know that I’m going against a good opponent, and to hear him say that he’s going to display all his hard work. I feel ready for that.
I’m expecting him to give his best. That’s what makes this exciting for me.

At 43, Garcia says his motivation is no longer rooted in chasing medals:

I want to go in there and give everything I have.
Every time I go to compete, I don’t want to disappoint everybody who wants to see me compete.

It’s not about winning or losing. I want to go over there and show how hard I fight, how hard I believe in Jiu-Jitsu.

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