Gabi Garcia on despicable fight vs. 52 year old: ‘Oh my’

RIZIN FF says it wants to be the “new PRIDE.” They may not mean the home-to-the-greatest-heayweight-ever PRIDE, and the truly-majestic-fight-maker PRIDE. They may mean the Fedor-vs-Zuluzinho-freakshow PRIDE.

Gabi Garcia, 31, is a nine-time world champion in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 3-0 in MMA, and stands 6′ 2″ tall, and weighs 235. RIZIN is matching her on New Year’s Eve with Shinobu Kandori, a 52-year-old, 5′ 7″ tall, 165-pound former pro wrestler and current politician, who has not fought since 2000.

It’s a fun match up for a pro wrestling bout. As an MMA fight, it is despicable. Japanese audience doesn’t seem to particularly care one way or the other, and any normal fight fan is disgusted, so the move is baffling.

Garcia expressed concern in a recent interview with Guilherme Cruz for MMA Fighting, and said she had to be talked into it by RIZIN CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara.

“When I saw her, I was like ‘oh my…’ At the press conference, someone asked her if she was going to train hard, and she said she wouldn’t because she can rely on the Japanese technology,” said Garcia. “I didn’t understand anything [laughs]. Japan is really different.”

“When I told [Sakakibara] I didn’t want this fight … he explained her history in the sport, that she challenged me. She was the only Japanese that wanted to fight me. She fought men in the past, she has a history in judo, and she wanted to fight me. He went to her gym to watch her train, too. In his head, this fight is like Bob Sapp against ‘Minotauro’. It’s the concept of the Japanese show.”

“I was shocked at how excited Japanese fans are for this fight. He said ‘Gabi, this fight will be good for your name in Japan, good for us, and good for her.’ And now I have the obligation to win [laughs]. The last time I underestimated an opponent I lost, so I will never do that. I respect her history. I had losses to smaller girls in jiu-jitsu in the past, so I respect everyone.”

Garcia says she has to be within 15 pounds of Kandori when they weigh in. Garcia claims to walk around at 214, and that Kandori is 187. So Garcia plans to make 198, and will enlist the help of Cris Cyborg, who will be in her corner.

The walking around at 214 would appear to be contradicted by the 224 that was announced at her last fight, but Garcia says they mixed up the weigh-in results. And the Kandori weighing 187 would appear to be contradicted by the fact she isn’t. However, with no regulation in Japan, and a level of integrity that would sanction this fight, the weigh-ins, like the fight, will be a sham.

Garcia also noted that there are seven women who want to fight her, including a Brazilian and 6′ 5″ Belarussian Katya Kavaleva, who is currently training at Blackzilians. But Garcia added that while she can turn down a fight, she is the employee, not the matchmaker.

Garcia also discussed a recent session with UFC hall of Famer Tito Ortiz.

“I sparred with Tito last week and he beat me up a lot,” said Garcia. “I pretty much survived there, but I was able to land a few punches. He said ‘Gabi, you’re really strong.’ I always trained with men. I’m strong. I don’t want to fight a smaller girl so people say I only win because I’m fighting smaller girls, because I’m stronger.”

At least the fight trailer is amusing …