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Australian grappling legend Lachlan Giles’ competitive fire never went away during his retirement.
At ONE Fight Night 38, the 39-year-old BJJ icon will return to face arguably the best competitor of all time, Marcelo Garcia in lightweight submission grappling action on Dec. 5 at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium.
Giles stepped away from competition in 2022, and focused on raising his two children, along with coaching at Absolute MMA.
However, the leg-lock master admitted he couldn’t resist when offered a chance to grapple a living legend like ‘Marcelinho’.
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Appearing on The FloGrappling Show on YouTube, Giles revealed the preparations he’s made for his much-awaited comeback match:
“The intensity is just the enjoyable amount – showing up and doing as many rolls as makes me happy, not pushing too hard.”
He added:
“Now with the focus on a match, I've gone back to what am I best at and how do I get sharper in that area, and building my fitness up as well.”
Garcia, who captured four ADCC World Championships and five IBJJF World Titles, is considered the BJJ GOAT in several circles.
Giles knows he must bring his absolute A-game against the legend and put in immense work behind closed doors.
Watch the full interview:
Lachlan Giles details how superfight with Marcelo Garcia materialized
Lachlan Giles simply couldn't say no when offered a dream match with his idol Marcelo Garcia.
The Aussie grappling savant admitted it wasn't a hard decision to make.
'Giant Killer' shared in the same interview:
"Just before CJI, I started speaking to [ONE Vice President of Grappling] Tom DeBlass. He asked if I'd be interested in the match. As far as I'm aware, it's a match Marcelo asked for, actually. I said yes, and here we are. It's finally signed and announced. Of course. A chance to have a match against the greatest of all time is incredible."
Giles' returns to competition at ONE Fight Night 38 will stream live in U.S. primetime on Prime Video for North American fans.
