Female MMA fighter doesn't rule out fighting men

Standing at 6-foot-2 and weighing 238 pounds, Brazilian jiujitsu Hall of Famer Gabi Garcia is going to have a difficult time finding women to compete with her in MMA.

After winning more than10 gold medals in major grappling competitions, including the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation tournament six times, Garcia made the successful transition to MMA in 2015 in Rizin Fighting Federation with a pair of first-round finishes. However, considering that women of her size and remotely close to her skill level competing in MMA are already a rarity, it may be time for the 30-year-old from Brazil to consider other options.

“I’m sparring with the best guys in the world so I’m not scared of any girl,” Garcia told TMZ Sports.

She last fought in April when she finished Anna Malyukova in the first round with an armbar. The Brazilian jiujitsu black belt is a work in progress when it comes to striking but is learning quickly and striking fear in the hearts of potential opponents. Her size has always been imposing and if she wants to continue to compete, she’s going to be hard pressed to find any woman willing to step in the cage with her.

But what about a possible fight with a man?

It’s something that Garcia is considering and her coach, former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion and UFC title contender Renato “Babalu” Sobral, believes that a battle of the sexes may be inevitable for Garcia.

“I think eventually, down the road, if they have anyone they want to step up and try out I think that can happen in the future,” Sobral said. “A year from now, if they don’t have any more girls [for her to fight], her only chance to fight will have to be against men, and they better watch out because they’re going to get knocked out by a girl.”

A man fighting a woman in MMA has been teased about before when some pondered how Ronda Rousey would fare against a man in the Octagon. However, nothing close has come to fruition in a major MMA promotion. However, there have been instances where a man has fought a woman. The now defunct promotion Rio Heroes pitted Ediane Gomes against a local kickboxer in a bare-knuckle, no rules fight back in 2007. Gomes won that fight by submission.

Could Gabi Garcia be the first to do it in a major MMA promotion?