Marcelo Garcia: Bringing BJJ Back to MMA

Owner of one of the greatest set of techniques in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and submission grappling, Marcelo Garcia (Pictures) will finally make his mixed martial arts this September for K-1, which announced last week that it had signed Garcia to fight.

The grappling phenomenon recently told Sherdog.com that he knows a transition is necessary in order to be successful in MMA, yet he also suggested that it will be his jiu-jitsu that carries him to success when it comes to fighting.

"The only thing new in my training are the gloves," said the 25-year-old Brazilian. "Everything that I can face in a MMA match is already in my mind. I'm training stand-up fighting. I'm not silly."

Intending to fight at 170 pounds, the three-time ADCC champion at 76 kilograms suggested that there isn't any motivation for him to move up or down in weight.

"I do my game plan by myself. I don't try to adapt to my opponent, and I think that it will also happen in MMA," he said. "I always have a strategy in my mind. My strong point will be jiu-jitsu, and I see that some of the great athletes in this weight division forgot a little about jiu-jitsu, discrediting the art. I think this will be the difference between them and myself. By that time, they will realize the importance of jiu-jitsu."

During his third ADCC title run this year, Garcia tapped out all his opponents save for his last fight when he was defeated in the absolute-division finals. This performance was enough for him to be awarded the most technical athlete of the competition, but Garcia said it was experience, not technique, that was fundamental to the accomplishment.

"I trained hard as always, but my other participations gave me a good background," he said. "Not only in the ADCC, but also in jiu-jitsu competitions. I realized that people are getting immunized with the things that I like to do. But they can't think that I only train for that. I practice everything and when something doesn't work, the other things are well trained to be put to the test."

Even after his great performance in ADCC, Garcia didn't take any time off from training.

"I'd like to thank those who cheer for me," he said. "That's what made me train on Monday after a weekend of tiring fights in ADCC.

I'd like that they know that it is not easy to lose after such a great championship. But it will not discourage me. I do promise that in future events I will come with the same will. The fans will see me win with the same style that I bring as I look to finish all the fights and become champion."