Rafael Lovato Jr. respects Giancarlo Bodoni’s grappling game ahead of ONE 173: “He’s very complete”

Experience battles youth when Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu royalty collides with modern systematization. Rafael Lovato Jr. studied his opponent extensively and discovered a complete grappler without exploitable weaknesses.

The 42-year-old BJJ legend faces two-time ADCC World Champion Giancarlo Bodoni in middleweight submission grappling at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri on Sunday, November 16, inside Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. Lovato makes his promotional debut carrying a perfect 11-0 MMA record and recent ADCC silver medal from 2024.

Bodoni captured ADCC gold in both 2022 and 2024, becoming the first athlete to win back-to-back championships in the 88-kilogram division. The 29-year-old New Wave Jiu-Jitsu product compiled victories over IBJJF and ADCC World Champions under legendary coach John Danaher.

The fifth-degree black belt recognizes the immense challenge. His detailed scouting revealed a dangerous opponent comfortable winning from any position.

“He’s very complete. He can win on top, he can win on bottom. His wrestling is good. He also has very good defense. Even when he’s gotten into a little bit of trouble, he’s usually able to not just survive, but actually come back and either win or fire off some offense again,” Lovato said.

“He doesn’t give up. Technically, he’s a big challenge. There are no real holes in his game. There are no real weaknesses.”

Rafael Lovato Jr. targets submission finish despite Giancarlo Bodoni’s defensive mastery

Rafael Lovato Jr. earned 76 submissions across 141 career victories. The Oklahoma native built his legacy through relentless pressure that capitalizes on microscopic mistakes rather than simply outscoring opponents.

Lovato recently made history by becoming the first athlete to win all four IBJJF majors in both Gi and No-Gi competition this past June. His continued excellence despite being more than a decade older than his opponent demonstrates sustained elite performance.

His strategy involves breaking opponents down systematically before securing dominant positions. He sees potential attack opportunities that could force Bodoni into unfamiliar defensive scenarios.

“I have a couple of attacks that I can bring him into a position where I can fire those off. Like I said, I don’t expect it to be easy to finish him. I don’t think I’ve ever really seen him get submitted,” he said.

“But I believe that by the time I get to a dominant position, I’ll have broken him down enough that I can at least get a good look at it.”