Considered one of the best, if not the best, grappler in the world, Marcelo Garcia has joined the American Top Team (ATT) and is expected to start up an academy in Weston, Florida in the next few months. Garcia will continue to represent Fabio Gurgel and Alliance when competing in grappling, but will fight under the ATT banner in mixed-martial-arts (mma) events. In October of 2007, the former ADCC Champion made his mma debut against Kim Dae Won in K-1 Heroes Olympia Korea event. After an impressive first round, Garcia lost after catching a knee to the face causing a cut which lead to the fight to be halted on the advice of the doctor. In March Garcia will engage in his second professional mma bout at another K-1 Heroes event. This event is also scheduled to have ATT’s JZ Calvacante and Denis Kang on the same card.
This is starting out to be a good year thus far in terms of recruitment for ATT. After landing Pride and UFC veteran Yves Edwards late in ’07, Alessio Sakara, another UFC veteran joined the team in the beginning of 2008. Edwards won his first fight after joining ATT and will fight again on January 25 in New Jersey for ShoXC. Sakara will fight for the first time under the ATT banner on January 19 in England for UFC 80.
For more new on ATT please check out their website: http://www.americantopteam.com
