Gabi Garcia Gets MMA Opponent for NYE, And It's About What You Expect
Gabi Garcia Gets MMA Opponent for NYE, And It's About What You Expect
The IBJJF Hall Of Famer has an MMA fight set for New Year’s Eve in Japan.
IBJJF Hall of Famer and ADCC champion Gabi Garcia has finally got another MMA fight set, this time for New Year’s Eve in Japan.
Garcia, currently 4-0 in MMA with all her victories by stoppage or submission, is set to square off with Shinobu Kandori (4-1-0). The news was announced by Japanese MMA promotion RIZIN on Twitter.
Additional fight card!
— RIZIN FF STAFF (@rizin_STAFF) November 29, 2017
追加対戦カード発表！ pic.twitter.com/54UUVJKzP4
At 6-foot-2 and over 100kg, Garcia has had a rough time finding suitable opponents. While Kandori may appear a decent match on paper, she is actually a 53-year-old retired pro wrestler turned politician who last stepped into the MMA ring in 2000.
Garcia and Kandori were set to fight last year, but the match was postponed when the Japanese grappler suffered an injury.
At 5-7 and 75kg, Kandori will be giving up over 25kg in weight to the grappling superstar. This is not the first time Kandori faced an opponent far larger than herself.
In 1995, Kandori faced off with Russian judo Olympian Svetlana Goundarenko, who stood 6-foot-3 and weighed 150kg (330lb). Kandori had two matches with the Russian separated by four months, with each fighter winning once via submission.
Garcia’s four MMA fights have only amounted to a total of 8:03. She holds two wins via TKO due to punches and two via submission (one armlock, one keylock).
