Marcelo Garcia apparently came to ADCC 2022 as more than just a spectator, as the legendary grappler was actually ready to step in to the superfight match on short notice if either Gordon Ryan or Andre Galvao couldn’t make it. This revelation is made even more impressive by the fact that Garcia was already going to have an incredibly busy weekend anyway, as he was actually being honoured as one of the inaugural class of the ADCC Hall of Fame being honoured at the event. Not just that, but he was also coaching several competitors of his who were trying to add to their own personal legacies.
Regardless, Marcelo Garcia was apparently still ready to step into the ADCC 2022 superfight if either Gordon Ryan or Andre Galvao withdrew at the last minute. Not only would he have been giving up a significant size disadvantage to either man, but it’s also worth noting that Garcia was not actually preparing for any competition and hasn’t competed at all in quite some time. Garcia has had incredible success in the absolute division throughout his career though and has often been regarded as an underdog, so this didn’t phase the BJJ legend and he was more than willing to step in on a moment’s notice.
Of course, the superfight went ahead as planned as both Ryan and Galvao were good to go and in the end it was Ryan who won the fight by submission and claimed the title. That was definitely the best outcome for the fans, as Ryan and Galvao had been circling each other for what feels like forever and that rivalry needed some kind of conclusion. Still, it would have been incredible to see Garcia step in out of nowhere and give either one of these men a run for their money on just a few hour’s notice.
The revelation was made in a recent Reddit post by Kon Ying, a BJJ black belt and close personal friend of Marcelo Garcia who was actually meeting up with him at ADCC 2022, where he learned first-hand that Garcia had come prepared to face either Gordon Ryan or Andre Galvao if either man pulled out of the superfight:
