Garcia specifically requested the matchup with Giles when discussing his second ONE Championship appearance with Vice President of Grappling Tom DeBlass. The 43-year-old Brazilian identified Giles as his preferred opponent following his successful return from cancer treatment at ONE 170 in January.
Garcia first noticed Giles during the 2019 ADCC World Championships, where the Australian submitted three heavyweight competitors — Kaynan Duarte, Mahamed Aly, and Patrick Gaudio — with inside heel hooks to earn bronze in the openweight division despite competing at 77 kilograms.
“I was backstage the first time Lachlan competed at ADCC, and he displayed amazing submissions in the absolute division that day,” Garcia said.
“He displayed such amazing jiu-jitsu against some really big guys. Seeing someone like him who competes in my division, who is the same size as me, that made me feel like I want to test myself against someone who showed such beautiful jiu-jitsu.”
Garcia captured four ADCC World Championships and five IBJJF World Titles during his competitive career before being diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2023.
He overcame the diagnosis by the end of the year and returned to competition after a 13-year hiatus, submitting Masakazu Imanari with a north-south choke at ONE 170.
“I feel blessed that I was able to show my skills in a really high-level match, in a big competition like ONE Championship,” Garcia said.
“I feel like that was the highlight of my life. It was just like a dream come true.”
The victory earned Garcia a $50,000 performance bonus and confirmed his return to active competition. When planning his next appearance, Garcia identified Giles as the opponent who would provide the technical challenge he sought.
The public response to the matchup announcement surprised Garcia, who did not realize the level of anticipation for the contest between two submission grappling specialists.
“I didn’t realize all the people were expecting to see this match,” Garcia said.
“I didn’t know that. That made me more inspired to go against him because I didn’t know people were looking forward to this match.”
Garcia views the matchup as an opportunity to compete against an opponent who represents technical excellence and innovation in modern submission grappling. Giles developed a reputation for his leg lock system and technical approach to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
“I’m happy to know that I’m going against a good opponent, and to hear him say that he’s going to display all his hard work,” Garcia said.
“I feel ready for that. I have to be able to go over there and show the best jiu-jitsu possible. To be able to know that I have somebody on that level, I feel like I could do that. I’m expecting him to give his best. That’s what makes this exciting for me.”
At this stage of his career, Garcia’s motivation extends beyond competitive results. He competes for supporters who followed his journey through cancer treatment and recovery.
“I want to go in there and give everything I have,” Garcia said.
“Every time I go to compete, I don’t want to disappoint everybody who wants to see me compete. It’s not about winning or losing. I want to go over there and show how hard I fight, how hard I believe in jiu-jitsu.”
