Rafael Lovato Jr. has added yet another unforgettable chapter to his storied combat sports career, this time not on the Jiu-Jitsu mats or in a ONE Championship cage – but on the collegiate wrestling stage.
The multiple-time world champion and MMA veteran shared the news after competing with Oklahoma City University at the NAIA college wrestling National Duals tournament in Iowa, where OCU earned All-American team honors for the first time in more than a decade:
Eight weeks ago exactly, I was in Tokyo winning my debut at ONE Championship & this weekend I was in Iowa wrestling at the NAIA college wrestling National Duals tournament.
Representing my state & my city in one of the biggest events of the season in my first ever folkstyle tournament…
There were so many moments where I couldn’t believe this was really happening.
I am very grateful I got to experience this & proud of how I stepped up to the challenge.
The road to the All-American team trophy was anything but smooth for the OCU Stars.
The squad suffered a major setback in the second round when their 125-pound wrestler was forced to withdraw from the tournament:
Our team suffered a tough blow in the 2nd round yesterday when our 125’er suffered a mild concussion & had to pull out of the tournament.
This put us down 6 points as a team for every round after that.”
What followed was a rally that left a lasting impression on Lovato:
The way these kids motivated themselves & each other to battle back & earn big points to make up for that deficit was very inspiring.
We came back in the consolation bracket to go 2-1 & ultimately win the 7th place team & earn All-American honors for OCU Stars for the first time in over a decade.
For Lovato, the emotional highs and lows of team wrestling were unlike anything he had previously experienced:
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.
Individually, Lovato finished the weekend with a 3–2 record:
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.
I will cherish this memory for the rest of my life.
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