Gabi Garcia: MMA Fighter Trains With Light Heavyweights And Claims It is Just As Tough As Sparring With Cris Cyborg [Video]

Gabi Garcia, the jiu-jitsu champion-turned-mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, shows off her training regimen in which she trains with light heavyweights. Apparently to Garcia, training with them is just as tough as sparring with Cris Cyborg.

During an exclusive with MMA Fighting, Gabi Garcia opened up about her journey in MMA right before she returns to MMA action this coming Sunday in Japan to compete in the fifth show held by Rizin Fighting Federation (Rizin FC).

“Being realistic here, people had high expectations for my MMA debut, but I didn’t expect a good performance at all. I didn’t expect a good MMA fight. I didn’t go through an amateur fight or a small promotion like any other girl in the United States. I went straight to the big leagues. I was so excited I forgot about everything. I got knocked down 11 seconds into the first round. But I’m used to getting punched in the face now.”

To be fair, Gabi Garcia comes from a jiu-jitsu background. Even though she has noteworthy accolades to her name such as being a grappling world champion and member of the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) Hall of Fame, it technically does not account to striking or being able to defend or absorb strikes. Ergo, it makes sense why Garcia was knocked down within 11 seconds in the first round of her first fight against Seina Draughn who is better known by her professional moniker of Lei’D Tapa in both Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) and Global Force Wrestling (GFW).

As a means of improving her striking, Gabi Garcia moved full-time to California. There, she was able to spar with Cristiane Justino, better known as Cris Cyborg. Apparently, Garcia learned a lot about striking (or at least learned a lot about defending strikes) sparring with Cyborg, who is now recognized as the best female MMA fighter in the world today. Garcia opened up about her experience training with Cyborg too.

“When I got to the U.S., Cris called me and said that we were both fighting around the same day, and introduced me to her coach and called me to train together one day. She has her sparring partners at her weight and I have mine, of course, but we train together sometimes. She’s surreal. She’s a monster.

“When I throw a jab and the guy responds, I get punched hard. When I throw a jab at Cris, she fires back with a jab, two uppercuts and kicks. She hits as hard as a man. I hit her twice and she comes back with 10 punches [laughs], and I don’t see where they are coming from. Cris is so fast. She hits you five times, and the last one is to drop you.”

Despite Gabi Garcia’s obvious weight and height advantage, she admitted that it was tough sparring with Cris Cyborg, saying she was knocked down to the ground despite Cyborg’s condition due to her weight cutting.

RIZIN Live Stream, Real-Time Results From Japan https://t.co/EkjGg5CZzK via @mmamania

— Gabi Garcia ? (@gabijiu) September 25, 2016

Nevertheless, Gabi Garcia’s training will only compliment her as she goes in competing in her third official fight in the upcoming Rizin FC event Rizin Fighting World GP 2016 in which she will take on Destanie Yarbrough in an openweight bout. Though her third appearance will be highly sought out by MMA fans who want to see diversity in women’s MMA, the highlight of the night will be the first-round fights of the Openweight Grand Prix. One of them will feature the MMA return of “Cro Cop,” Mirko Filipovic.

As for Gabi Garcia, she is going into her fight at around the light heavyweight range, specifically 207 pounds. The reason for staying at such a weight is to be ready just in case she is put in a fight against a male MMA fighter in the light heavyweight division, something she is open to doing due to the lack of female fighters in her division.

[Featured Image by Gabi Garcia’s Official Facebook]