fciwomenswrestling.com article, instagram.com photo
The fact that there is even a discussion that you as a Fem Competitor and Rhonda Rousey should meet in battle and the conversation seems to have merit is an extreme compliment to your abilities.
Gabrielle “Gabi” Lemos Garcia is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) practitioner, grappling world champion, and member of the IBJJF Hall of Fame.
She trains in São Paulo with Fabio Gurgel, at the Alliance team, where she has achieved two Abu Dhabi Combat Club championships and nine world Brazilian jiu-jitsu championships.
According to the respected MMA site bjjheroes.com, “Gabrielle Garcia, commonly referred to as Gabi Garcia, is the most dominant Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitor in the female division’s history, where she won the vast majority of important tournaments before receiving her black belt rank. The famous Gaúcha (person from a southern region of Brazil) has since reached the degree of black belt under the illustrious Fábio Gurgel, quickly becoming one of the brightest stars in the Alliance Academy, a camp that is regarded as the strongest in the sport.
In 2014 Gabi Garcia failed a test for illegal substances by the USADA and was stripped of her 2013 IBJJF Pan American and World Titles.”
Penalties aside, Gabrielle is a fighting specimen.
The effective sports and information site thenational.ae, confirms this view. “The sheer sight of her and the look in her eyes are enough to send a chill through her opponents’ bones. Gabrielle Garcia is all muscle, stands 1.88 meters tall and weighs over 90 kilograms.
The battle-hardened Brazilian is a nine-time world jiu-jitsu champion and has shed an incredible 50kgs over two years as she prepares for her mixed martial art (MMA) debut.”
Ms. Garcia participated in various sports during her youth.
It’s taken hard work and relentless dedication for Gabrielle to reach the pinnacle of her sport.
She played basketball, volleyball and was successful in field hockey before her first lesson in jiu-jitsu at the age of thirteen.
Even still, as great as she is, as dominating as she can be, as much as she overwhelms……. she still can be humbled.
The great athletic site sport360.com reported, “Mackenzie Dern stole the show by stunning nine-time world champion Gabrielle Garcia before claiming her maiden open weight world jiu-jitsu title in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
On the final day of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu Jitsu Championship at the IPIC Arena, the 22-year-old, who stands 1.57m tall, showed size does not matter as she defeated Brazilian Vanessa Nascimento 6-0 in the final.
Fans expecting to see Garcia in the final were in for a shock as the 1.88m tall Brazilian, weighing over 90kg, was made to pay after a penalty point saw short-statured Dern, who weighs 55kg, hold on to victory in the last-four.”
So where does all of this talk about facing global fighting machine Rhonda Rousey come into play.
Ms. Rousey herself.
On July of 2014, according to the dynamic site theofficialmmanation.com, “UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion, Ronda Rousey’s made a brash statement about women’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) practitioners in the “Countdown to UFC 175″ show.
“I still think that I can beat any BJJ girl in the world, any weight division, gi or no gi, black belt all the way, in any rule set that they want.” she said.
Her bold statements seem to have struck a nerve with a list of BJJ world champions, but most notably eight time world champion, Gabrielle Garcia. For those who watched the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil (TUF) may remember Garcia as the mountainous assistant coach that Wanderlei Silva had brought in to help his team with their BJJ. Garcia recently told Gracie Mag that Rousey lacked “humbleness” and “disrespected” jiu jitsu.”
Wow! What a fight that would be.
Is it going to happen?
The well-researched MMA site wbbjj.com answers that question. “There was one BJJ woman champion (and IBJJF Hall of Famer) whose name quickly rose to the top of the list, to be the most probable of defeating Ronda. Her name is Gabi Garcia. Gabrielle Garcia stands at 6’2″ compared to Ronda’s “meager” 5’6″. It would in theory be tremendously difficult for Ronda to defeat Gabi considering Gabi’s size and skill set. It would not be long before Ronda retracted her statement.
Excitement flared when Gabi Garcia announced that she was training to compete in MMA. Individuals began tweeting and commenting that Gabi was coming after Ronda. This is an impossibility unless a “super fight” was made, which would allow for a cross-division MMA fight (that is if any sane athletic commission would sanction a fight with such a weight disparity). Ronda fights at 135lbs, while Gabi claims the lightest weight she could make is 191.
Sorry guys, but it’s not happening (and sad for us because Gabi doesn’t plan on competing in the gi for a while).”
Oh well. Hope springs eternal. Let’s travel to Gabrielle’s home town.
Porto Alegre is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.
Its population of 1,509,939 inhabitants (2010) makes it the tenth most populous city in the country and the center of Brazil’s fourth largest metropolitan area, with 4,405,760 inhabitants (2010). The city is the southernmost capital city of a Brazilian state.
The city lies on the eastern bank of the Rio Guaiba (Guaiba Lake), where five rivers converge to form the Lagoa dos Patos (Lagoon of the Ducks), a giant freshwater lagoon navigable by even the largest of ships.
The city was one of the host cities of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, having previously been a venue for the 1950 FIFA World Cup.
It also possesses wonderful natural beauty.
The entire coast, from the northernmost point of Rio Grande do Sul to the southernmost tip, is basically one long beach with nothing to break it up into sections.
It is the largest continuous beach in South America.
Therefore, there are plenty of other beaches to enjoy besides those specifically in Porto Alegre. The best are about an hour away, but they are still not recommended for swimming. There are sandy beaches great for sunbathing, as well as more natural beaches with rocky coves and turbulent water. Both kinds are perfect for photos, exploration, and gorgeous sunsets.
You see, Gabrielle is a beautiful giant from a gorgeous part of the world.
Have you heard about her? If not, it’s our job to introduce you to some of the best, brightest and toughest female grapplers in the world.
Isn’t that what Rhonda Rousey would want?
~ ~ ~
Sources: brainyquote.com, Wikipedia, fciwomenswrestling2.com, FCI Elite Competitor, photos thank you Wikimedia Commons.
http://www.bjjheroes.com/bjj-fighters/gabrielle-garcia-bjj
https://twitter.com/gabijiu?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author
http://www.thenational.ae/sport/other/nothing-has-come-easy-for-gabrielle-garcia-in-jiu-jitsu
http://wbbjj.com/will-ronda-rousey-ever-face-gabi-garcia-mma-no/
http://fightstate.com/fat-roided-out-bjj-champion-gabi-garcia-is-now-sexy-and-shredded/
http://wikitravel.org/en/Porto_Alegre
http://www.world66.com/southamerica/brazil/portoalegre/beaches
