Rafael Mendes
Multi-time ADCC champion, Atos co-founder
Aug 5, 2026 ↗ OUTBOUND
Rafael Lovato Jr. Skipped ADCC 2026: 'I Won't Compete Against Younger Athletes For Free' — And He Had a Point
Rafael Lovato Jr., a 43-year-old veteran of elite grappling and MMA competition, announced he would skip ADCC 2026. His reason was direct: he was done competing against twenty-somethings without a paycheck.
Jun 27, 2026 ↗ OUTBOUND
Kron Gracie Accuses Rafael Mendes of Steroid Use—Zero Clean Records
Kron Gracie did what nobody in elite grappling does quietly anymore: he said the quiet part out loud. This week, Kron publicly claimed that Rafael Mendes admitted to steroid use after his dominant 2009 ADCC run.
Jun 18, 2026
Mendes Brothers Deny Doping Rumors as Rafael Retires #Shorts
#BJJ #JiuJitsu #Shorts Rafael Mendes retires from competitive jiu-jitsu. His brothers immediately deny doping accusations that nobody formally leveled. The optics of defending against phantom rumors? Rough. #Grappling #MartialArts
Jun 13, 2026 ↗ OUTBOUND
Rafael Mendes Retirement: Brothers Debunk Doping Myth
Rafael Mendes should've been one of the faces of jiu-jitsu for the next decade. Double ADCC champion.
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.