MMA 'Hulk' Gabi Garcia sparks backlash after calling out smaller fighter on social media

Gabi Garcia is one of the biggest heavyweights in women's MMA. Photo / Twitter

Heavyweight fighter Gabi Garcia, nicknamed "She Hulk", has sparked controversy after she called out a lightweight who weighs almost 40kg less than her.

The Brazilian MMA fighter took to Twitter to call out Kayla Harrison, who won the Professional Fighters League lightweight championship in 2019.

"I am waiting 3 years for @KaylaH tell me how much she wants me to cut weight to accept the fight! Just excuses and joke here!" Garcia tweeted.

Garcia, a 188cm jiu-jitsu and grappling champion, weighs in at almost 100kg and has won six of her seven pro fights in mixed martial arts, with one no-contest.

The 35-year-old made headlines in 2016 after she dominated pro wrestler Yumiko Hotta, who was 20kg lighter and 20cm shorter, in a 41 second victory.

Harrison shrugged off Garcia's tweet: "Lol we talking real fighting now not some staged fight.

"How about beat someone that isn't picked from the old folks home and has a real heartbeat and then you can put my name in your mouth.

"Until then watch me win another mil."

i am waiting 3 years for @KaylaH tell me how much she wants me to cut weight to accept the fight!
just excuses and joke here!#rizinff #pfl

— Gabi Garcia 🥇 (@gabijiu) January 26, 2021

Garcia responded: "I made more money than you winning without a sweat but now you are disrespecting the other girls I fought!

"Do you want to put your single million and I will put a million also to make this fight? Or will you make an excuse.

"U are a joke!"

Fellow MMA star Liv Parker chimed in, backing Harrison.

"She (Harrison) would probably be more interested in a quality opponent," Parker tweeted.

"If you want to talk jokes, you (Garcia) are the one fighting 50+ year old has-been wrestlers who are 1/4th your size and weight."

When flyweight Tara LaRosa defended Garcia, Parker added: "Do you really think she (Garcia) can be taken seriously given her track record?

"I also know how hard the women before me, yourself included, have fought to pave the way for women in the sport & her antics just feed the critics even more. Not who I want repping me as a female fighter.

"Just my opinion though … just hard to respect how she has carried herself."

Harrison is a two-time Olympic gold medallist in Judo and is considered one of the greatest female fighters of all time.

The American, who used to train with former UFC champ Ronda Rousey, is unbeaten at 8-0 since her MMA debut in 2018.