Rafael Lovato Jr
Multi-time IBJJF Worlds champion, MMA
Jun 12, 2026
Lovato at 42: Freestyle Wrestling Champion #Shorts
#BJJ #JiuJitsu #Shorts Forty-two years old, college freshman, and champion. Rafael Lovato Jr. just reframed what 'too old' means in competitive grappling. Read the full article: https://bjjproblems.com/blogs/bjj-problems/rafael-lovato-jr-freestyle-wrestling-us-open-42-college-d
Jun 11, 2026 ↗ OUTBOUND
Thug Trials 3 and the Lovato Jr.-Rocha Match That Finally Happened
pulled off something that had been floating around the grappling community's wishlist for years. On May 11th, three days after competing at a NAIA collegiate wrestling meet against athletes who were in middle school when he was winning ADCC titles, the 42-year-old showed up in Do
Jun 10, 2026 ↗ OUTBOUND
Rafael Lovato Jr. Won Freestyle Wrestling at 42 — Proof That Grappling Lineage Never Expires
just won the Freestyle Wrestling US Open at 42 years old. Not as a comeback story.
Jun 1, 2026 ↗ OUTBOUND
Rafael Lovato Jr. Returns to Jiu-Jitsu After 14 Years — A Three-Time World Champion Discovers His Calling Again
The jiu-jitsu world got a reminder that some legacies don't stay retired. Rafael Lovato Jr., the three-time IBJJF World Champion and ADCC bronze medalist who'd been away from competitive grappling since 2012, stepped back onto the mats for UFC BJJ 9 on May 26th to face Horlando M
May 27, 2026 ↗ OUTBOUND
Rafael Lovato Jr. Wrestles College at 42 After BJJ Dominance
When you've achieved just about everything in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, earned a black belt under one of the sport's most revered names, conquered the pro grappling circuit, and won a major MMA title, what's left? For most, that's a career arc ending in retirement, coaching, or broadc
May 7, 2026 ↗ OUTBOUND
Rafael Lovato Jr. Was 42 and Competing in NAIA Collegiate Wrestling — Not Masters Division, Against Actual 20-Year-Olds
was 42 years old, 285 pounds, and standing on a collegiate wrestling mat in Iowa in January. Across from him: a heavyweight from Central Methodist University, born around 2003.