10 Things People Should Know About MMA Fighter Gabi Garcia

Highlights

• Gabi Garcia began training in jiu-jitsu at a young age and played multiple sports growing up.
• She is a multiple-time jiu-jitsu champion, with numerous grappling titles to her name.
• Garcia had a high-profile jiu-jitsu rivalry with Mackenzie Dern and also served as a guest coach on The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3.

There are a lot of interesting characters in the world of mixed martial arts. That being said, there are few that are bigger, and more recognizable, than Gabi Garcia. The RIZIN fighter and former jiu-jitsu champion stands at a staggering 6'2", and has competed all the way up to 226 pounds in her career.

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Garcia returned to the world of jiu-jitsu after taking several MMA fights but later retired from competition in late 2021. Last year, she announced her intention to return to the ring moving forward. While she's yet to finalize her return, these are ten things fans should know about the giant Garcia.

10 She Began Training Jiu-Jitsu At A Young Age

Gabi Garcia Played Many Sports Growing Up

• Gabi Garcia grew up in Brazil playing multiple sports.
• She mainly played organized team sports, such as volleyball.
• However, when she was 13, she began training in jiu-jitsu.

Unlike other fighters such as Mackenzie Dern, Gabi Garcia didn't grow up in MMA or jiu-jitsu. As a young child and teenager growing up in Brazil, she played a variety of sports, including volleyball and field hockey.

However, when Garcia was 13, her family moved to São Paulo. There, she began training jiu-jitsu, and she never looked back. By the time she was in college, Garcia was training full-time, with the goal of becoming one of the best grapplers alive.

9 Garcia Is A Multiple-Time Jiu-Jitsu Champion

The Brazilian Quickly Found Success

• Gabi Garcia currently holds a 71-8 record on the mats.
• Along the way, she won several grappling titles.
• She is a member of the IBJJF Hall of Fame.

Gabi Garcia got a bit of a late start in training as a teenager, but she quickly made up for lost time. The Brazilian began training under the tutelage of Fabio Gurgel at Team Alliance in Sao Paulo. During her jiu-jitsu career, she found a lot of success.

Garcia won multiple championships at the highest levels of grappling. In her lengthy career on the mats, she won nine World Jiu-Jitsu Championships, four ADCC titles, and more.

8 Jiu-Jitsu Rivalry With Mackenzie Dern

This UFC Strawweight Upset Garcia In 2015

Gabi Garcia has had more than a few high-profile grappling matches throughout her career. However, her most famous likely came in 2015, against future UFC contender Mackenzie Dern. The two had faced off four times previously, with Garcia winning each time.

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However, in 2015, Dern managed to score a massive upset win. The strawweight was dealing with a massive size disadvantage but still handed Garcia her first loss in six years.

7 Coaching Role In The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3

Gabi Garcia Coached For Team Wanderlei Silva in 2013

• The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3 went down in early 2014.
• The main draw of the season was the feud between Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva.
• Gabi Garcia served as a guest coach for the Brazilian team.

The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3 is one of the most iconic seasons of the long-running show. That season was coached by Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva, and the two middleweights famously hated each other.

Lost in the madness of that season, was Garcia's coaching role. The jiu-jitsu champion was one of the main coaches for 'The Axe Murderer' and his team, and was one of her first major appearances in MMA.

6 Her RIZIN Debut In 2015 Was Wild

Gabi Garcia Was One Of The Key Fighters On RIZIN's Debut

Not long after Gabi Garcia's appearance on The Ultimate Fighter, she announced her plans to make the jump into MMA. She was in-talks to fight in Jungle Fight, as well as the Japanese Real Fight Championships, but both fell through.

In the end, Garcia wound up signing with RIZIN and fought on the promotion's first card in a rare women's heavyweight bout. In her debut, the Brazilian was rocked early by future AEW wrestler, Lei'D Tapa. However, Garcia survived the scare and scored a first-round knockout.

5 Her Horrifying Win Over Yumiko Hotta

This Fight Shouldn't Have Happened

Yumiko Hotta is somewhat of a Japanese women's MMA pioneer. She began fighting in 1995 and accumulated a 5-3 record over the next five years. However, save for a 2012 loss in DEEP, she was essentially retired.

That was until 2016 when the 49-year-old Hotta stepped in on short notice to face Garcia. In one of the most lopsided and ridiculous fights ever, the Brazilian battered the pro wrestler to win in 41 seconds.

4 Garcia Has Had Several Controversial Fights

2017 Wasn't Garcia's Year, To Put It Mildly

• In 2017, Gabi Garcia had a pair of controversial bouts.
• Her shoot boxing match against Megumi Yabushita ended in a no-contest.
• Her MMA fight with Oksana Gagloeva ended similarly.

Heading into 2017, Gabi Garcia was 4-0, but not exactly a fan favorite. Her fight with Yumiko Hotta was embarrassing for everyone, and her next few bouts didn't exactly entertain fans. In July, she had a shoot boxing match with Megumi Yabushita. This fight, much like her previous one, was terrible.

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The fight was ruled a no-contest after Garcia hit her opponent with soccer kicks after falling down. Later in the month, she competed in an MMA fight against Oksana Gagloeva. Again, she fought to a no-contest, after eye-poking her opponent. Two no-contests in a month is rough.

3 Gabi Garcia Takes A Hiatus From MMA

In 2018, She Returned To The Win Column

• In 2018, Gabi Garcia scored two stoppage wins.
• Following the latter win over Barbara Nepomuceno, she took a hiatus.
• That victory in late 2018 is her last fight as of now.

Heading into 2018, Gabi Garcia had largely fought a mix of retired Japanese pro wrestlers, and women significantly undersized. However, after her back-to-back no contests, she went back to the drawing board.

In 2018, she faced two women around her size, Veronika Futina and Barbara Nepomuceno. She submitted both, but following her win over the latter, decided to take a hiatus from MMA. Her win over Nepomuceno at RIZIN 14 was her latest fight as of now.

2 Talk Of Intergender Grappling Match

In 2021, Gabi Garcia Nearly Faced Craig Jones

Gabi Garcia is a giant woman, and arguably the greatest female grappler walking the planet today. However, starting in 2021, she began to want other challenges. That year, she challenged Gordon Ryan to a grappling match.

However, she instead got in talks with Craig Jones. The two-time ADCC champion agreed to face Garcia in early 2021; however, the match ended up not happening due to a broadcasting issue.

1 Gabi Garcia Is Currently Planning A Return To MMA

In 2023, Garcia Announced Her Intentions To Return To Fighting

• Gabi Garcia took a step back from jiu-jitsu after a 2021 loss to Yara Soares.
• She later competed at the 2022 ADCC World Championships, coming up short.
• In early 2023, Garcia announced her plans to return to MMA.

In December 2021, Gabi Garcia announced her retirement from IBJJF competitions. Over the next year and a half or so, there was radio silence about what her next move would be. However, in 2023, she announced her intentions to return to MMA, under 200 pounds.

Since then, Garcia hasn't had a fight finalized, or signed with anywhere either. However, one can expect to see her back fighting sooner rather than later.

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