BJJ News — rafael-lovato-jr

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 Doral, Florida, rear n

just won the Freestyle Wrestling US Open at 42 years old. Not as a comeback story.

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 Monteiro.

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 broadcasting.

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.