Thoughts on the Return of the GOAT
Watching Marcelo, a hero of mine in jiu-jitsu for my entire life, come back to competition after a battle with cancer got me feeling nostalgic.
Marcelo Garcia is the greatest pound-for-pound grappler of all time. He is “Sugar” Ray Leonard for the grappling fan and historian in me. From 2003 to his 2011 retirement, he was the most dominant grappler in the -77kg division at ADCC and routinely made inroads into dominating open-weight divisions in both gi and no-gi.
I was a kid and just starting to get into BJJ when Marcelo burst onto the scene. In fact, his actual major explosion was slightly before I started training: ADCC 2003.
Marcelo Garcia’s performance at ADCC 2003 is one of the greatest performances by a debuting competitor in the event’s history. He competed at -77kg (170 pounds) and just crushed the division. In his first match, he submitted Japanese MMA fighter Kiuma Kunioku; it’s a dominant performance, but exciting and competitive. In the second, though, things got interesting.
He was matched up against two-time division winner (out of four ADCC events, to that point) and all-around legend Renzo Gracie. He didn’t just beat Renzo. He controlled the match, winning 9-0 on points. The next round, the semi-final against Vitor Ribeiro (generally just called “Shaolin”) is an iconic ADCC finish.
It’s gorgeous. Armdrag to the back to the rear naked choke. He won the finals against Otto Olsen, a game opponent, again with a rear naked choke finish. Four matches, three RNC finishes. But he wasn’t done, because he also got a spot in the open weight division.
In the semi-finals, he took the back and choked out a standing Mike Van Arsdale. He lost his next match to Marcio Cruz, “Pe De Pano,” 6-0 on points. Pe De Pano is 6’4 and competed in MMA as a heavyweight. He has a TKO win over Frank Mir and 6 IBJJF world championships. Marcelo took him the distance despite a massive size disadvantage.
Marcelo’s ADCC career is full of events like this. He dominated -77kg for almost a decade, winning it four times in five events (silver in 2009, when Pablo Popovitch won a 3-2 nail-biter). Several years, he submitted everyone in the division. He also took medals in the open weight twice (bronze in 2005; silver in 2007).
In 2007, Marcelo submitted six straight opponents (four en route to his -77kg win; two in open weight) before losing the open weight finals to Robert Drysdale. The -77kg bracket included Andre Galvao, Saulo Ribeiro, Mike Fowler (who knocked out Saulo in an upset), and Popovitch (who beat Galvao). Marcelo’s match against Vale Tudo legend Cacareco (a moniker of the Black Rhinoceros) is similarly spectacular.
These are the performances I remember. I’d started writing about MMA when Marcelo competed in ADCC 2007, and I remember watching the video of the event and writing up reports online for forums.
Marcelo changed jiu-jitsu stylistically. The arm drag-to-single leg-to-back, the butterfly guard, the x-guard… these are things which play a major role in jiu-jitsu today because of Marcelo Garcia. Even details like the seatbelt grip to rear naked choke which is now standard at the introductory level of jiu-jitsu… that’s Marcelo.
Four ADCC golds (7 medals) is the top-line. He also won five IBJJF world championships (and a silver) and got bronze in Absolute twice. In an era where gi BJJ was near its peak, he was dominating his division and putting on matches with larger opponents, all legends: Roger Gracie, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, and Braulio Estima. He was a little man fighting against legends.
But that’s not what makes Marcelo a hero.
What makes Marcelo a hero is that he’s widely recognized as one of the nicest people ever to step on the mat. I have never heard anyone say anything about his character other than complimenting his kindness and generosity. He helped to develop an incredible program in New York City. He produced an enormous educational repertoire. All while never letting his ego into the room.
Then he got sick.
In 2023, a lot of us were jarred to hear that Marcelo (just in his early 40s) had stomach cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy. He is a beloved figure, uncontroversially admired by everyone from the Danaherites to the aliens from the 10th Planet. We all love Marcelo. We all felt it was a tragedy.
Watching him come back, compete again, about two years after that horrible news, was an ecstatic experience.
Marcelo was matched up against Imanari, one of my favorite grapplers to watch. He won the match and gave an interview characteristic of his excitement and love for jiu-jitsu.
We live in a time when the world feels like a mess; it is a mess. But good things happen. Good men exist, and do great jiu-jitsu. It’s possible to be a jiu-jitsu great and a kind person. It’s possible to come back from serious illness and compete, build on those skills. It makes me happy and (in a moment where being happy feels hard sometimes) I wanted to share that with you.