News and Announcements

Professor Rafael Lovato Jr. Wins at World Jiu-Jitsu Expo!

Fri, 18 May 2012 00:28:00 GMT

In a tight and very technical match, Professor Rafael Lovato Jr. was victorious over Lucas Leite by a score of 2-0 in their super fight at the very first World Jiu-Jitsu Expo! This was the first time the two top competitors, who both happen to be Gi & No-Gi Black Belt World Champions, had ever faced each other and after an extensive feeling out process, the match ended with quite a bit of excitement with Professor Rafael scoring with a sweep. In his post fight interview, Rafael Lovato Jr. mentioned how his victory was a small step on his mission of becoming the first non-Brazilian to win the World Championships as a Black Belt twice! Now with just two more weeks to go until the 2012 World Championships, Professor Lovato will be finishing off his World's camp with some very intense training and small technical adjustments to help him go into the competition in peak physical and technical condition. Professor Rafael has 5 Black Belt World medals in three different weight classes, but only one of those medals is a Gold. Follow Rafael as he attempts to make even more history in the sport and solidify himself as not just the best American in BJJ, but one of the greatest ever.

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Team Lovato Highlight Video from the 2012 IBJJF Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championships!

Fri, 11 May 2012 16:38:00 GMT

Check out this awesome highlight video of Team Lovato from the 2012 IBJJF Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championships! Team Lovato left the competition with 7 medals in what was the largest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament in history. Click to read the report about Team Lovato's performance at the Pan.

Watch Professor Rafael Lovato Jr. Compete Live at the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo!

Fri, 11 May 2012 16:24:00 GMT

Originally slated to face Kayron Gracie, Professor Rafael Lovato Jr. will now face former World Champion, Lucas Leite, after Kayron Gracie was forced to pull out due to injury. Professor Rafael Lovato Jr. is very happy to have this opportunity to compete at the very first World Jiu-Jitsu Expo and is looking forward to putting on a show for his fans. You can watch him compete live as well as the other all star superfight cast at MobileBlackBelt.TV on Saturday night, May 12th. The main event of the evening is UFC veteran & former Strikeforce Champion, Nick Diaz vs ADCC Champion & World BJJ Champion, Braulio Estima, in a no-gi match.

Go Professor Lovato!

Lovato Jiu-Jitsu Takes 2nd Place Overall at the Dallas International BJJ Open!

Mon, 07 May 2012 22:56:00 GMT

Team Lovato has another amazing performance at one of the largest BJJ tournaments in the Southwest, the 2012 Dallas International BJJ Open! At the end of the day, after so many great individual performances, Team Lovato left the competition with the 2nd Place Overall Team trophy, losing only to a much larger team and defeating many other large local teams, including Alliance Jiu-Jitsu and Gracie Barra. This is especially amazing considering that Team Lovato came from Oklahoma and is only 1 school compared to many other teams who combined many schools together! Now, Team Lovato is the only Team to have been in the top 3 of all 5 major International BJJ competitions to have been held in Texas, including the 2010, 2011, & 2012 Houston Open and 2011 & 2012 Dallas Open and we have outdid our performances from last year where we placed third and came in second at both the 2012 Houston Open and now the 2012 Dallas Open! We are so proud of our competitors and we really appreciate all of their hard work and dedication that they show on the mats everyday to make these special moments possible! Also, we want to thank all of those who drove down to support their teammates and those that stayed all day to coach and motive their training partners.

There were so many great moments during the competition, so it would be hard to name them all, but here are some of the highlights:

Team Lovato had a representative in all of the adult absolute (considered the most prestigious division) finals from Blue to Black Belt!

17 yr old Avery Holmes reached the finals of the adult Blue Belt Lightweight division!

Coach Dallas NIles was undefeated and took gold in both his weight class and absolute in the adult Blue Belt divisions!

Coach Shiloh Roberts won his Purple Belt weight division and was the runner up in the Purple Belt Absolute division, getting many submissions during his campaign!

Coach Jesse Sunderman won double gold in his Brown Belt divisions!

Professor Harper dominated his Black Belt Master division without ever getting a point or advantage scored against him!

Professor Travis reached the finals of both the Black Belt middleweight and absolute divisons!

Professor Rader showed his heart and determination submitting a former World Champion in the finals of the Black Belt featherweight division after being down on advantage points!

Here are the full individual results:

Dominique Noel - 1st Place White Belt

Dustin McGee - 3rd Place White Belt

Madison Smith - 2nd Place White Belt Female

Audrey Boyd - 1st Place White Belt Female

Jason Parker - 3rd Place White Belt Master

Addison Ellis - 1st Place White Belt Master

Miguel Soares - 1st Place White Belt Master

James Hale - 3rd Place White Belt Master

Drew Eldridge - 2nd Place White Belt Senior

Shane Shadwick - 1st Place White Belt Senior

Pamela Johnston - 2nd Place Junior Female

John Kannard - 3rd Place Teen

Dylan Bush - 1st Place Teen

Avery Holmes - 2nd Place Blue Belt

Andy Waldon - 3rd Place Blue Belt

Lars Eggersdorfer - 2nd Place Blue Belt

Cole Osborne - 3rd Place Blue Belt

Dallas Niles - 1st Place Blue Belt weight & absolute

Mai Huynh - 2nd Place Blue Belt Female

Bobby Dhimmar - 3rd Place Blue Belt Master

Josh Hatley - 2nd Place Blue Belt Master

Brandon Russell - 2nd Place Purple Belt

Shiloh Roberts - 1st Place Purple Belt weight class & 2nd Place absolute

Darragh O Conaill - 2nd Place Brown Belt weight class and absolute

Gabe Campbell - 1st Place Brown Belt

Johannes Wieth - 1st Place Brown Belt

Jesse Sunderman - 1st Place Brown Belt Senior weight class & absolute

Justin Rader - 1st Place Black Belt

Travis Serna - 2nd Place Black Belt weight class & absolute

Robert Harper - 1st Place Black Belt Master

Coach Dallas with Double Gold!

Coach Shiloh with the Gold!

Gabe Campbell with the Gold!

Professor Harper with the Gold!

Professor Rader with the Gold!

Watch Professor Rader's intense final below:

New Belts at Lovato's!

Sat, 05 May 2012 02:27:00 GMT

After a very successful day of testing, many students of Lovato's were promoted to their next belt! There were numerous Yelllow, Orange, & Green belt recipients, but the highlight was the 8 students who were promoted to Blue Belt! This is a record number of students to receive their Blue Belt in one day and we are so proud!

Congrats to Lane Epperson, Greg Reece, Doug Hurst, Ninja Van Ballard, Jon Blackburn, Billy Wolfe, Kris Mitchell, and Grant Roberts for conquering their first milestone in their journey to Black Belt and achieving the rank of Blue Belt!

Professor Rafael Lovato Jr. Set to Face Young Gracie at Jiu-Jitsu World Expo!!

Sat, 05 May 2012 02:21:00 GMT

The very first World Jiu-Jitsu Expo Event will be held May 12th in Long Beach, California. The event will feature booths of many different BJJ retailers, a tournament, hall of fame ceremonies, and it will be headlined with some big superfight matches. Professor Rafael Lovato Jr. will face Kayron Gracie in a BJJ superfight that promises excitement! Other superfights include Nick Diaz vs Braulio Estima & Kron Gracie vs Vitor Estima. Stay tuned for results.

Lovato's School of BJJ & MMA is Voted Best of Oklahoma City for Martial Arts Training 2 Years in a Row!!!

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 18:37:00 GMT

For the 2nd year in a row Lovato's School of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu & Mixed Martial Arts has been voted the Best of Oklahoma City in Martial Arts Training by the US Commerce Association! Only 1 out of every 70 2012 award recipients qualified as two time winners! We are very happy and proud to be recognized for our great service.

Read the Press Release by the US Commerce.

In honor of this recognition we would like to offer all new members $100 off enrollment from now thru May if they mention this award. There are so many benefits to gain from martial arts training, don't hold off any longer and schedule your appointment with one of our martial arts consultants today!

Professor Justin Rader Highlight Video!

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:29:00 GMT

Check out this amazing highlight video of one of Lovato's School of BJJ & MMA full time Black Belt instructors and Black Belt World No-Gi Champion, Professor Justin Rader!

Professor Rafael Lovato Jr. Takes the Bronze Medal at the 2012 World Pro BJJ Championships!

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:25:00 GMT

For the 2nd year in a row, Professor Rafael stood on the podium at the World Pro BJJ Championships held in Abu Dhabi. Representing his country, Professor Rafael was one of only two Americans who reached the Black Belt podium in an event dominated by Brazilians. Professor Rafael lost his semifinal match by one advantage in what was once again a very close and controversial loss. This bronze marks the 11th Black Belt World medal that Professor Rafael has earned in his eight year career as a Black Belt! Congrats Professor!

James Head Earns First Victory Inside the Octagon at UFC Sweden!

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:14:00 GMT

Team Lovato MMA fighter, James Head, made a victorious Welterweight debut at UFC Sweden this past weekend! James Head dominated Papy Abedi, rocking him on the feet and securing top position on the ground and finishing him off with a beautiful RNC submission in the first round! James displayed a well developed all around skill set and is now on his way to carving out his place in the UFC's elite Welterweight division! Awesome job James!

Check out his post fight interview!

Team Lovato at UFC & Abu Dhabi This Week!

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 15:23:00 GMT

Professor Rafael in action at last year's World Pro Jiu-Jitsu Championships

This is a very big week coming up for Team Lovato! The leader of Team Lovato, Professor Rafael Lovato Jr., is on his way to Abu Dhabi, UAE to compete at the World Pro Jiu-Jitsu Championships which starts this Friday the 13th. Professor Rafael won a trial event to secure his all expenses paid trip and spot in the main competition. At last year's World Pro, Professor Rafael become the No-Gi World Pro Champion and he won the bronze medal in the Gi competition. You can relive his No-Gi victory by watching the video below:

James Head after defeating Gerald Harris

Just behind him, is Team Lovato MMA fighter, James Head, who is heading to Sweden to compete at the very first UFC event ever held there. James will be making his welterweight debut against the hard hitting Papy Abedi. James will be looking to earn his first victory inside the Octagon and secure his spot as an up & comer in the talent filled welterweight division. You can watch the UFC Sweden event on Fuel TV as well as online. Check out this highlight video of James:

Team Lovato Wins 7 Medals at the 2012 BJJ Pan American Championships!

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:38:00 GMT

Jared Dopp & Dallas NIles shutting out the Blue Belt Super Heavy division

After a long weekend of competition, Team Lovato left Irvine, California with 7 medals from the biggest Jiu-Jitsu tournament ever held. This years Pan Championships had over 3,200 competitors with some divisions filled with over 100 competitors! Team Lovato blue belts shined on the first day of competition. Coach Dallas Niles & Jared Dopp closed out their Blue Belt Super Heavyweight division & Jared Dopp went on to win the prestigious absolute division, completing his day with 7 matches & 7 victories! This caught the attention of many, including Gracie Magazine who wrote this article about Jared. Team Lovato Oregon secured two medals for the blue belt master & senior divisions with Tyrone Angolia & Bill Higgs winning a bronze medal & gold medal respectively. Moving into the purple belt division, Coach Shiloh Roberts earned the bronze medal in his Master Purple Belt division, losing a very close match by advantage in the semifinals. Lastly, the Team Lovato Black Belts all performed very well, with many of them winning matches. Professors Justin Rader, Travis Serna, & Ben Baxter did very well, dominating their first round opponents before losing in the quarterfinals. Professor James Puopolo performed beautifully, winning two matches in the Black Belt absolute division, before losing in the quarterfinals to a former World Champion. The leader of Team Lovato, Professor Rafael Lovato Jr earned his 9th Black Belt Pan medal in his 7th appearance. Professor Rafael submitted his quarterfinal opponent & lost a very controversial referee decision in the semifinals, earning him the bronze medal in the Black Belt heavyweight division. Great job Team Lovato!

Double Gold Winner, Jared Dopp, with Professor Rafael

Coach Shiloh Roberts with the Bronze Medal

Team Lovato Heading to the 2012 IBJJF Pan American Championships!!

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 23:21:00 GMT

Starting this Thursday, 14 members of Team Lovato will be competing to become the 2012 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Pan American Champion! Everyone on Team Lovato has trained very hard for this competition, as it is the largest BJJ competition in the world and one of the most prestigious titles to win in all of BJJ! The team consists of strong athletes from Blue Belt to Black Belt. Leading the troops will be the leader of Team Lovato, Professor Rafael Lovato Jr. Rafael Lovato Jr. will be looking to win his 4th Black Belt Pan American title and continue to make history for Americans in BJJ. Still to this day, after 16 BJJ Pan American Championships, Professor Rafael is still the only American to have won gold in the adult Black Belt division!

You can watch Professor Rafael and the rest of Team Lovato live on the Budovideos Broadcast! The competition starts Thursday with White & Blue Belts and will continue through the weekend, finishing off with the Black Belts on Sunday.

Professor Rafael Lovato Jr. winning his 3rd Black Belt Pan American title in 2008

Lovato Black Belts Featured on Gracie Magazine Web Site!

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 22:29:00 GMT

The 2012 new Lovato Jiu-Jitsu Black Belts, Robert Harper & Travis Serna offered some great advice to Gracie Magazine to help the BJJ students across the world achieve their dream of becoming a BJJ Black Belt. Professor Rafael Lovato Jr. also shared some helpful tips. Click to read the Gracie Mag article!

Team Lovato MMA fighter, Rob Wood, Wins Again!!!

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 22:56:00 GMT

Rob Wood with Professor Rafael Lovato Jr. & Team Lovato UFC fighter, James Head

Lovato's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Purple Belt and up & coming MMA fighter, Rob Wood, continues his first round submission streak winning his Pro debut at King of the Cage event last Saturday night in Norman, OK, with a head and arm choke at 1:52 in the first round! Rob put on another textbook BJJ clinic as he took his opponent down, applied some ground & pound, and got the choke submission. We look forward to watching Rob continue to evolve and gain more experience in the MMA world! Awesome job Rob!