So far, 2017 has been a year to forget for Gabi Garcia.
In July, 10-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion Gabi Garcia scored back-to-back No Contests with both bouts ending because of fouls she committed.
Garcia kicked off the streak by annihilating her much smaller and much older opponent Megumi Yabushita with an
illegal soccer kick. She appeared to be cruising towards a dominant victory over the 45-year-old, but that foul meant it didn't go down in the win column.
https://twitter.com/Jolassanda/status/883283441806180353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportsjoe.ie%2Fmma%2Fgabi-garcias-fight-ending-foul-left-gruesome-mark-opponents-eye-132382
In a rare treat, Garcia then took a fight against someone who wasn't at a massive weight disadvantage when she faced former boxer Oksana Gagloeva.
However, the former pugilist's professional MMA debut ended earlier than she would have liked when Garcia
dug her fingers into her eye socket in the very first exchange.
https://twitter.com/Jonnyboy_6969/status/891591528438693889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportsjoe.ie%2Fmma%2Fgabi-garcias-fight-ending-foul-left-gruesome-mark-opponents-eye-132382
Garcia will have a chance to close out a bizarre year with a win though. She has since booked another fight for Rizin FF's end of year show.
She will be facing 53-year-old former professional wrestler Shinobu Kandori, who holds a 4-1 record in MMA. Just to hammer home the age difference, when Kandori won a bronze medal at the 1984 Judo World Championships. Garcia had just celebrated her first birthday.
https://twitter.com/rizin_STAFF/status/935740102499864576
The fight announcement has received its fair share of backlash from fans with Garcia even claiming that she was attacked by a stranger on the streets of Los Angeles because of the match-up. She released a lengthy video statement on Twitter detailing what happened.
"One guy open the door in one black Mustang, 'Hey Gabi!' and I'm with my jacket Team Gabi Garcia... (he says) 'Why you no punch my face? You just accept fight with old ladies.' (I say) 'Man, what you talking about?' and the guy kick me, kick my leg. The guy kick hard my leg and entering the car and leaving."
"I call for the security. I call for the guys working in the place for the cameras, for looking the cameras and everything... but guys, the thing is respect people. It's not important. It's my job. It's my choice."
https://twitter.com/gabijiu/status/936041214062641152
