Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu legend will soon make his wildly anticipated return to competition when he battles Japanese icon in an openweight submission grappling bout at 바카라 but the hardest fight of his life is already behind him.
This Friday, January 24, in Asia primetime, martial arts fans around the globe will tune in when 바카라Marcelinho바카라 competes for the first time in nearly 15 years at the sold-out Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
A four-time ADCC World Champion and a five-time IBJJF World Champion who is widely regarded as the BJJ GOAT, Garcia stepped away from the sport while at the top of the mountain, fresh off winning gold at the 2011 ADCC World Championships with a near-perfect submission rate.
The 41-year-old has since spent time with his family and focused much of his efforts on growing his world-class academies in New York City and Hawaii.
But in early 2023, Garcia바카라s world came crashing down when he was diagnosed with stomach cancer. While the grappling community rallied around its favorite hero, he understandably felt nervous about what the illness and treatment process would bring.
The BJJ star spoke to about receiving the news of his diagnosis:
바카라I was like, 바카라Alright, so now this is a whole new thing that I have no idea what바카라s gonna happen.바카라 I was just trying to figure it out.
바카라Thank God, things started going more in my way to help me, and we found the cancer early.바카라
The cancer and chemotherapy treatments forced Garcia off the training mats and onto the couch. He jokes that he spent much of his time playing video games simply trying to occupy his mind.
Still, his fight against cancer was scary. In his darkest moments, he worried not just about his own health and wellness, but also about his two children who deserved to have their father watch over them:
바카라It wasn바카라t a great thing fighting for my life. And when I say my life, I바카라m not just talking about myself. I바카라m talking about the life of my kids바카라 father. You know what I mean?
바카라I have to be their father, I need to stay here longer, and I need to try to give them the best chance to grow up like good people.바카라
With his family at the forefront of his mind, Garcia dutifully underwent every treatment necessary to battle his cancer into remission.
Looking back on that year-long fight, the Brazilian is surprised by how quickly he바카라s bounced back 바카라 both physically and mentally:
바카라It was not fun at all to go through the treatment. I ended up doing eight sessions of chemotherapy. The first four were really rough. The last four, not terrible. And in between those eight chemotherapy sessions, I ended up having a big surgery. That changed a lot of the dynamics inside my body, my stomach, my esophagus.
바카라And the crazy thing is how it바카라s just a year ago that I finished my treatment, but it feels like it바카라s been so long. I바카라m not gonna lie, I almost forgot everything. It바카라s just crazy how our bodies adapt. It바카라s just crazy how our mind forgets about things, too.바카라
By late 2023, 바카라Marcelinho바카라 was able to safely return to the mats and do what he loves most.
When he first received his diagnosis, he wasn바카라t even sure that he바카라d survive, much less grapple again. That바카라s why he바카라s so grateful for each and every day that he바카라s alive, whether he바카라s training and teaching BJJ or spending time with his loved ones:
바카라My doctor, she didn바카라t promise anything. She바카라s like, 바카라I바카라ve never dealt with somebody that young that has your type of cancer, so I don바카라t know what you바카라re gonna be able to do.바카라 So I didn바카라t know if I was gonna be able to train.
바카라For me, when I was able to go back to training, I started to feel like, 바카라Oh, I think I can live with this. I feel like I can roll normal. I feel like I can teach. I feel like I can go upside down if I have to, and I wouldn바카라t feel the food going up my throat.바카라
바카라[My doctor] didn바카라t guarantee me anything. So when I was able to go back to training, I felt like, 바카라Okay, I can work again. I can just be myself again.바카라 So that was the best feeling for me when I went back to training.바카라
How Garcia바카라s Positive Mindset Carried Him Through Dark Times
Marcelo Garcia바카라s battle with stomach cancer and the year spent away from BJJ training gave him a valuable perspective about what is most important in his life.
Unable to actively take part in the sport, he felt like a piece of himself was missing and that he wasn바카라t providing for his family.
So, when Garcia finally returned to the gym, he thought primarily about those around him:
바카라I know what makes me feel the best in my life 바카라 if I can give a better childhood to my kids. That바카라s my biggest wish. So when I trained again, I felt like, 바카라Okay, now I can give a better life for my family because now I can work every day. Now I can do that thing that바카라s probably the best thing that I know how to do.바카라
바카라When I was able to go back on the mat, I was just not thinking about myself, but I was just so happy to be able to make a living again with jiu-jitsu because it was hard to not be able to really work. That was really what beat me up every day.바카라
Within the BJJ community, 바카라Marcelinho바카라 is known as one of the most humble, friendly, and easygoing athletes the sport has ever seen. Ultimately, that positive outlook carried him through his most difficult times.
When life seemed the most bleak, he focused his mind on the things that give him true, lasting happiness:
바카라We have to know what makes us feel good. When I say make us feel good, like, not momentarily, not make us feel good now, but in the long term, too. Pleasure makes us feel good now, but also, is it gonna make us feel even better later? So once we know that, we have to just put our mind on that.
바카라We need to figure out what makes you happy, and just focus on that. But not what makes you happy now. I can eat a pint of ice cream. That would make me really happy now. But very soon after, I바카라m not gonna feel great after that. So I find what makes me feel the best, and I focus on that so much.바카라
