Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) legend and former Bellator MMA champion Rafael Lovato Jr. has decided to continue testing himself in a different sport. The four-time IBJJF world champion has officially made his college wrestling debut this weekend, at age 42.
Lovato was eligible to join the team at Oklahoma City University (OCU), and he competed in the NAIA division at the NWCA/USMC National Dual Meet Championships from January 10-11, 2026. Normally competing at around 99 kg (218 lbs) in jiu-jitsu, Lovato faced much younger and heavier wrestlers at the 285 lb heavyweight division.
Lovato fared well and went 3-2 in his first ever folkstyle wrestling tournament, getting wins by major decision (11-2), decision (9-6) and one by pin.
His team at Oklahoma City ended up finishing 7th in the NAIA Division.
“OCU Wrestling wins an All-American team trophy for the first time in over a decade and I got to be a part of it!” Lovato wrote after the tournament.
“This was unlike anything I had ever been a part of in my career. The energy of the team & the drama of the matches was insane! I had so much fun & learned a lot about the combat art of wrestling. The speed & technique is so much different & it was incredible to learn how to adapt my skills while in the heat of battle.
“At the end of it, I went 3-2 & gained a lifetime of experience in two days. From winning at the end to losing at the end. To a cruise control victory to trying to come back from a major mistake. The best was how it all ended tho, me getting my first pin in our 7th place winning dual,” he continued. “I will cherish this memory for the rest of my life.”
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Lovato beat MMA legend Gegard Mousasi back in 2019 to win the Bellator middleweight championship, but was eventually forced to retire from mixed martial arts due to a rare brain disorder. After ending his MMA career at 11-0, Lovato continued to compete in grappling and kept winning major titles despite his advanced age.
He took silver at the most recent ADCC World Championships in 2024 at age 41, then won gold at the 2025 IBJJF No Gi Brasileiros at age 42. A couple of months before this weekend’s wrestling tournament, Lovato also defeated the reigning ADCC champion Giancarlo Bodoni at ONE Championship, proving he’s still elite at his age.
While this past weekend was Lovato’s first folkstyle wrestling tournament, his first ever tournament under wrestling rules happened in 2025, when he competed in freestyle wrestling and took bronze at the 2025 US Open (Master Nationals).
