Rafael Lovato Jr. has come a long way in a short amount of time in mixed martial arts. One of the most accomplished American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and a black belt under Carlos Machado, Lovato began his professional MMA career in 2014. In just a little more than three years, he has compiled a 6-0 record and captured a title in the now-defunct Legacy Fighting Championship promotion.
After vanquishing his first two Bellator MMA foes in a combined 2:12, the Oklahoma native will square off against Chris Honeycutt in the Bellator 189 co-main event on Friday night.