If you are one of Gabi Garcia’s 194,000 Instagram followers, then you are probably no stranger to her carefully sculpted abs.

That’s because, constantly and proudly displayed along with the rest of her chiseled 205-pound figure, they tell a story. They tell her story. And while it’s tempting to go with the obvious feel-good one – the one about the girl who lost more than 100 pounds – it’s about a whole lot more than that.

At 250, 205 or 195 pounds, Garcia (2-0) has always loved the body that has been her tool to success. As she transitioned from her multiple-award winning career in jiu-jitsu to her budding one in MMA, her physical shape adjusted.

And, by sharing her journey, she wants to make a point.

“I am over 6 feet tall – I am big,” Garcia told MMAjunkie. “I never wore a size small, and that was never a problem for me. I searched, with my work in jiu-jitsu and in fighting, for my space. I’ve been chubby, I’ve been very fat, and I loved myself. I will never weigh 135 pounds – and I’ll not go home to cry because I’ll never weigh 135 pounds. I’m going to apply the 205 pounds that I now need to fight in my favor. I’m never going to weight less than 185 pounds – the doctor told me that I can’t – so I’ll never fight Ronda Rousey. People imagine things that I know aren’t possible. But I need to make my reality possible, which is what I’ve been doing.

“I want to show girls that you don’t have to be the same as everyone else to get places. You need to love yourself. People need to be able to look at themselves and say, ‘I like me. I’m proud of me.’

“I was a cleaning lady in the U.S. to get to where I am. I take pride in that. So that’s what I want to show girls. I’ve seen too many people suffering because they don’t fit into a society-imposed stereotype. And I’m the opposite of that – the world is here, and Gabi is on the other end. But I love myself, and I think that’s the energy I send to people. We are the energy that we put out to the world, and it comes back to us. I’ve only been getting good things.”

It’s with that same teachable mindset that Garcia occasionally violates one of the internet’s most widely-spread commandments: ‘Don’t feed the trolls.’ A stereotype-smasher in her own right, she’s no stranger to getting senseless hate online.

While she remains unfazed by the “trolling,” the Rizin fighter believes there’s something to be gained from speaking up.

“People say, ‘Don’t answer,’ but how many others at home have problems accepting themselves?” Garcia said. “It’s very common for people to call you names without even knowing you on the internet. When people do that, they think they’re getting to me. But they’re not.

“It makes me nervous that people don’t respect other people’s options. I saw it in my house. My sister got a gastric bypass surgery. She did it for health issues, but she was happy when she was chubby. Why? Because she loves herself. She’s always been beautiful within, while people judge others from the outside. The days this body no longer exists, the day I get injured, the day I’m no longer the fighter that I am, will I lose my value? No. That’s what I want to show.”

Though currently just 2-0 in her MMA career, Garcia is still one of the world’s most recognizable names in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Her athletic success – combined with her strong online presence and the active concern with capitalizing on the exposure – has garnered her a following that she doesn’t take for granted. Her fans have pushed and motivated her.

But every now and then, even the mighty Garcia can become overwhelmed.

“In my head, it’s become something that I demand from myself because people expect things from me,” Garcia said. “Women, in Japan, are seeing me as this sort of freedom. As hope. In Brazil, as well. Women still make less than men, even in the fighting world, and then I made it. Not that I made more than other people, but I’ve always marketed myself a lot.

“I made money with jiu-jitsu. I always looked for that. So I have a different audience. People cry, I have a fan club, my fans have tattoos. They get in line for hours to talk to me, cry. I became something that I couldn’t even imagine in peoples’ lives. And I think it has to do with my story of overcoming. So I demand a lot from me. Sometimes I’m super tired, but I know that all these people are watching. It’s a weight that I carry.”

After a quick moment of silence, Garcia paused. And, with a laugh, admitted.

“I’ve never needed a therapist, but I might be needing one!”

Garcia’s open challenge

A nine-time world jiu-jitsu champion, Garcia went from being one of the biggest stars in her sport to an MMA question mark. As usual, she was followed by doubters. Her size – already target of criticism during her grappling years – was the focal point: How much qualified competition would a 205-pound woman with such intimidating grappling be able to get?

Garcia’s MMA debut was met with a lot of curiosity and expectation and, after a few false alarms at other promotions, she officially became the first woman hired by Japanese organization Rizin Fighting Federation. Her debut, while successful, was not a breeze. Against Lei’d Tapa, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert saw herself on the verge of being knocked out before pulling off her own TKO win.

The second fight ended up being easier, with Garcia putting her jiu-jitsu chops to use and walking away with a submission. When she looks back to that first fight, it’s with self-understanding. In spite of some “Oh my God, what now?” pre-fight elevator jitters, she went up there. She fought. She got rocked and survived. She won. But most importantly, she grew.

“The adrenaline took a lot from me in the first fight,” Garcia said. “And, in the second, I already knew a punch to the face wouldn’t kill me. Taking that knockdown was very good for me. In the first fight, I was a bit scared to take it to the ground because the girl was a wrestler and I didn’t know if I was going to get kneed, what was going to happen. I wanted to strike. But I’m a jiu-jitsu person. I need to take the fight to the ground – which is where I spent my entire life. So in my mind, in the second fight I wanted to take it to the ground, which is where I feel confident and know I’ll find myself. I was already more calm and now I can see the position better in the ring.”

Garcia believes getting knocked down in her MMA debut also showed that, in spite of her size and experience, she is vulnerable. Which, considering the flood of challengers that keep pouring in, is actually a good thing.

“I thought it would be very hard to find opponents,” Garcia said. “But I’m actually getting many girls challenging me. When the light heavyweight division started, a lot of girls showed up – but they wanted some time to fight me, saying ‘Give me six months, another year.’ I got many challenges online, and Rizin also gets a lot of emails. But we want qualified opponents, as well. We want to open a good, competitive division. It’s not about just going up there and fighting; the girls need to have a background, too. But I’m going into my third fight already. I’m fighting every three months – which is more than some lighter girls.

“I showed heart in my first fight, because I was almost knocked out. I don’t remember much. I only thought about not giving up. In MMA, there are no favorites. You get hit, and it doesn’t matter whether you’re a favorite or not. I think that knockdown showed that I can be beat. I’m just starting off. It’s a new sport for me, but I’m open to challenges. I’m ready and prepared for the people who want to fight me.”

Garcia returns to Rizin on Sept. 25, against an opponent yet to be announced. And, looking to get another fight by December, she’s issued an open challenge to those who want to try their luck. Fighters interested in a shot against Garcia can submit an email to rizinff@icloud.com.

The fear of being forgotten

Garcia might be enjoying some early success, but that doesn’t mean it’s been an easy ride. After moving to California to focus exclusively on her MMA training, she was confronted with the particular difficulties of incorporating wrestling, striking and new levels of physical preparation into her already grueling training regimen.

But, having grown so excited about the learning process that even sparring practice has now become her “favorite day of the week,” Garcia celebrates her evolution.

“Í’ve always trained very, very hard,” Garcia said. “But learning everything, all of it combined, … I started freaking out a bit. I had to learn wrestling, boxing, muay Thai. It’s a lot harder than people think. After my first fight, people said I was terrible striker. I was like, ‘I’m not going to become Manny Pacquiao in six months.’ It took me 16 years to get my first jiu-jitsu gold medal. I knew, in me, that I wouldn’t have such a great fight at first. People eventually start out in small events until they make it to the big leagues. I was in a big one right off the bat. There was pressure, and I think I did even better than I imagined.”

Other than the obvious physical hurdles, however, Garcia also had to deal with the mentally challenging aspects of leaving a career in which she was already a household name to prove herself once again. It’s an ongoing process that, so far, has been greatly helped by the support from her mentors and her beloved Japanese fans.

“It’s hard, the fear of being forgotten. This year, I went to the jiu-jitsu worlds and saw that people still like me, and that sort of comforted my heart a bit,” Garcia said with a laugh. “I’m going to something new. … But Japan is indescribable – there are no words. I’ve had two fights, and I can’t walk down the streets. People want to touch me, to get autographs. I was like, ‘Wow, is this for real?’ At the press conference, the fans and the women were like, ‘Wow, you’re beautiful.’ I was like, ‘Wait a minute. I’m the total opposite of Japanese women.’ They’re skinny, and I’m strong and muscular. And they think I’m beautiful and want to touch me!

“They’re so respectful, and it makes me so happy. When idols like ‘Shogun,’ Wanderlei Silva, the Nogueira brothers said how it was to be, fighting in Japan, … I had imagined it, but when I saw myself there, … in the first picture, I was next to Fedor (Emelianenko). In the next one, I was between Wanderlei and Kazushi Sakuraba. I went to Japan recently and ‘Cro Cop’ asked to take a picture with me. I was like, ‘Wow, I was the one who wanted the picture with him.'”

“The American circuit is not my dream”

Garcia has, predictably, been asked in multiple occasions whether she’s had offers from other promotions – specifically, in the United States. In spite of being featured in a division that still isn’t part of the most well-known promotions, she says she has. But, perfectly happy with her current status, Garcia shows no intention of leaving.

“The American circuit is not my dream,” she said. “I’m very happy to be fighting in Japan. Also, on the opposite end, it’s not my dream to fight for a UFC belt. I want to fight for the Rizin belt, keep my career there, where I’ve been getting so much respect.

“I’ve received offers from many events after my first fight. This is a highly exaggerated comparison, of course, but why did Brock Lesnar sell so many pay-per-views in his last fight? He just sells. Of course it’s very different, but I sell.

“Some shows reached out to me but, right now, I wouldn’t trade Japan for anything. I love my fans, I love the love I get. It’s real love. I’ve received several offers, but I’m not switching now. It’s not the time and it’s not my dream.”

For more on Rizin’s upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.