IRVINE, California — Garth Taylor, one of OTM’s longest tenured friends and sponsored athletes, returned to the mats over the weekend. The Claudio Franca Black Belt and Head Instructor of Kaijin MMA in Santa Cruz, California made his return to the competition scene at the 2012 IBJJF Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship on Saturday.
In doing so, Garth defeated Jonathan Mendiola (Boran Jiu-Jitsu), Toby Mills (Solis Martial Arts Academy), and Asa Ralph Fuller (Ace Jiu-Jitsu). Two of his three victories came by way of submission en route to capturing Gold in the Senior 2 Ultra-Heavy Black Belt Division.
Garth is one of the true American legends in the sport. He holds wins over two former UFC heavyweight champions in Ricco Rodriguez and Josh Barnett, as well as Gabriel "Napão" Gonzaga, Sean Alvarez, Eduardo Telles, and many others. Congrats to Garth and we look forward to seeing him back on the competition mats very soon!