Jiu-Jitsu world champion Gabi Garcia travelled this Friday to St. Louis, MO.
In Missouri, she met American pro wrestler and BJJ blue belt Lei’D Tapa (whose real name is Seini Iwalani Draughn).
The two will fight at Rizin FF’s New Year’s Eve card, in Tokyo, Japan.
Gabi posted on Instagram about her debut and the first encounter with her opponent: “I’m ready. I was born to be challenged.”
Tapa also wrote about her debut on her Instagram feed: “I’ve trained hard for this day to come and now that it’s here I’m even more hungry and determined to go that much harder. I am the Queen of Rings, a warrior and I will fight my heart out because I am destined for greatness!! Gabi be ready to bow down!! I will show no mercy!”
While Gabi moved to the USA a few months ago to train at Kings MMA under Rafael Cordeiro, with training partners like Babalu Sobral, Mauricio Shogun and Fabricio Werdum; Tapa trains at American Top Team with King Mo. Tapa’s Jiu-Jitsu coaches are black belts Michael Allen and Paulo Mushu, of Checkmat, in Charlotte, North Carolina. .
Tapa competes at Global Force Wrestling, but has also some experience in competing in BJJ. She competed and won her division at the 2015 Atlanta Winter Open as a white belt and then again at the 2015 Atlanta Summer Open, already as a blue belt.
Before starting her career in wrestling in 2011, Tapa played women’s football for 4 seasons in the IWFL, playing for the Carolina Queens.
She was born in 1982, in Germany, while her father was stationed in a US Army base.
