Lovato: Friday is my biggest challenge

Rafael Lovato is one of the greatest US Jiu-Jitsu competitors in history. He didn’t begin MMA until his 30s and is now 5-0 at 34. In his third fight on April 22, 2016, he won the Legacy FC middleweight championship, and successfully defended it later in the year. Earlier this year he made his Bellator MMA debut, and won via strikes in just 13 seconds.

When I look back on my career in Jiu-Jitsu and the way things unfolded – there were ups and downs, and tough moments, and amazing ones – one of the things I was always thinking of was MMA, said Lovato to MMAWeekly.com. First it was ‘if’ and then it was ‘when’ and where it would leave me with Jiu-Jitsu and everything else. To this point today I feel like everything is in the right place.

I have amazing people around me. I just don’t feel like my life could be in a better place. MMA is just so grueling and takes so much out of us with the training, traveling, and everything that’s involved in it. I’m really happy that I waited and started my MMA career when I did. I feel like everything is unfolding the right way.

Lovato fights UFC vet Mike Rhodes at Bellator 181 on Friday in Thackerville, OK.

Mike I believe is going to be my biggest challenge, said Lovato. He’s fought some of the best. He has a lot of experience. He’s a former RFA champ, a current Victory champ, and I’m the former Legacy champ, so we kind of have a similar pathway.”

Once this fight is over, (ADCC) will turn into my focus. Then I’m hoping to get one more fight before the end of the year and finish out the year 3-0 in Bellator, and put myself in the position as one of the best in my division going into next year.”

Image courtesy of Legacy FC.