After the recent announcement that
Alessio Sakara (Pictures) had joined American Top Team,
Ricardo Liborio (Pictures) confirmed with Sherdog.com that another fighter has become a member of the Florida-based camp: multiple-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion and three-time ADCC 77-kg tournament winner
Marcelo Garcia (Pictures).
"He trained with us and now he's part of American Top Team," said Liborio, a founding member of ATT. "We made an agreement with
Fabio Gurgel (Pictures) [Alliance BJJ team leader], and Garcia will represent Alliance in BJJ and submission events and ATT in MMA events."
Following much success in submission and BJJ tournaments, Garcia debuted in mixed martial arts at a K-1 HERO'S event in South Korea. He lost the October 2007 bout to
Dae Won Kim (Pictures) via doctor stoppage on a cut 20 seconds into the second stanza.
After the defeat, there were suggestions that Garcia should join a powerful MMA team to improve his MMA skills beyond grappling. The Brazilian submission wizard will now look to do that with Liborio and company at American Top Team.