MMA: Gabi Garcia offers teary apology after missing weight by 12kgs

Warning: graphic image

Tears welled in Gabi Garcia's eyes as she dropped to her knees and offered an emotional apology for missing weight by 12kgs for her latest fight.

The Brazilian was scheduled to fight 53-year-old Japanese pro wrestler-turned-politician Shinobu Kandori in the Rizin promotion but the bout was cancelled when she came nowhere near to making the 95kg limit.

"I'm sorry, this is all my fault," Garcia told the crowd. "Everybody has problems in their life...I'm a normal girl. I'm human."

Garcia detailed her condition in a lengthy post on Instagram, accompanied by a photograph of her lying in bed with a blood-soaked towel.

View this post on Instagram

Everyone is looking for an excuse, but when it comes to health and our lives they can say it's anything. My life first. pass the photos to the side! Unfortunately a few days ago I measured my pressure and was high, I thought it was only that day. When I got off the plane in Japan I went to my training and started to have a headache, my eyesight blurred and my nose bleeding all the time. I warned my team, but I did not tell anyone because I did not give up. After all my training, my nose was bleeding from leaving a towel next to it. It was fine the night before and I decided to cut the weight the next morning, but I woke up with fever and again with my nose dripping, high blood pressure. Too much stress before traveling, unfortunately I still do not control my body, but I control my decisions. For those who have lost a brother, dying for a cut of weight would not be my choice. All together, menstrual period, high blood pressure, it was necessary to cut 17 pounds. I chose to live. No need to post any explanation, but no one knows what people are going through. Do not judge. Thank you @rizin_pr @rizin_staff for cherishing my life. I went up to the Saitama ring and apologized to my fans, who continue to support me and asked for my return. I'm going to rest, and get better back in 2018. With lots of news and going all the way. #rizinff #rizin2017 #gabigarcia #teamgabigarcia

A post shared by Gabi Garcia (@gabigarciaofficial) on Dec 29, 2017 at 3:54am PST

"Everyone is looking for an excuse, but when it comes to health and our lives they can say it's anything," Garcia wrote. "My life first...No need to post any explanation, but no one knows what people are going through. Do not judge. Thank you @rizin_pr @rizin_staff for cherishing my life."

The six-time jiu jitsu world champion is 4-0 in MMA, but all of her bouts in Japan's Rizin promotion have either been egregious mismatches, involved controversy — or both.

Garcia and Kandori were scheduled to fight last year but the bout was cancelled when the Liberal Democratic Party member, who won a bronze medal at the 1984 world judo championships, injured a rib.

Kandori, who hit the scales at 73kg, was visibly incensed by Garcia's lack of professionalism and stormed out of the room.