The Instructors at Lovato Jiu-Jitsu Northside
In addition to their technical expertise, our instructors are also excellent teachers who know how to create a supportive and challenging learning environment. They understand that every student is unique and tailor their approach to meet the needs of each individual.
Our instructors also prioritize safety, ensuring that all students learn and practice techniques in a safe and controlled manner. They are committed to helping our students build strong foundations in Jiu-Jitsu and MMA, and are always available to answer questions and provide feedback.
<< Back to About UsRafael Lovato
Rafael Lovato’s Achievements:
- Lifetime Martial Artist
- Owner & Head Instructor of Lovato’s School of BJJ & MMA in Oklahoma City
- Leader of the Lovato Jiu-Jitsu Association (over 30 schools across North America)
- 5th Degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt
- Pioneer for Americans in the sport of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu – Considered by many to be the greatest American Jiu-Jitsu Champion of all time.
- Muay Thai Black Belt – Evolucao Thai
- Undefeated MMA World Champion
- Professional Mixed Martial Arts Record 11-0 (9 finishes)
- Legacy MMA World Champion
- Bellator MMA World Champion
- Black Belt Jiu-Jitsu Titles:
- Black Belt World Gi Champion
- 3x Black Belt World No-Gi Champion
- 13x IBJJF Black Belt World Medalist
- 3x Black Belt Pan Champion
- 10x Pan Medalist
- 2x Brazilian National Champion (weight & absolute)
- 2x European Champion
- American National Champion
- Abu Dhabi World Pro No-Gi Champion
- Metamoris Champion
- Rickson Gracie Budo Challenge Champion
- 8x Fight to Win Light Heavyweight Gi & No-Gi Champion
- ADCC World Championship Silver Medalist
- 7x ADCC Veteran – 5x final four
- 6x Master World Champion
- First person to ever win the IBJJF Grand Slam (2007)
- 2007 BJJ Fighter of the Year
- 2016 Master Black Belt of the Year
- #1 Submission in Bellator History
- First Non-Brazilian to ever win a major IBJJF Absolute Title (2013)
- First American to win the Pans as a Black Belt
- First American to win the Europeans as a Black Belt
- First Non-Brazilian to win the Brazilian Nationals
- Second American to win the World Championships
- First Non-Brazilian Gi & No-Gi Black Belt World Champion
- One of the very few Triple Combat World Champions – Gi, No-Gi, & MMA
- First American to produce an IBJJF Black Belt World Champion
- Teacher of ADCC finalist & Black Belt Worlds & Pan finalist
- Teacher of over 100 Black Belts & thousands of students world wide
- One of the most sought after instructors & coaches
- Taught seminars & camps in more than 20 countries
- Founder of Timeless Jiu-Jitsu
Troy Russell
About Troy:
Troy has earned a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has trained in martial arts for an extensive amount of time. He brings in over 15 years of experience teaching Jiu-Jitsu, but did not originally start in BJJ. Before rolling onto the BJJ mat, Troy started off his martial arts journey in Wrestling, collecting over 20 years of experience as a wrestler.
His countless years of martial arts training has propelled him to take home many Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu titles. He is a 12-time Fight 2 Win Champion, two-time OKC IBJJF Open Champion, and last but not least, a one-time Who’s Number One champion. His vast and diverse experience provides students with a great martial arts learning resource.