2007 ultra heavyweight champion Rafael Lovato Jr etched his name in Jiu-Jitsu history as the second non-Brazilian to win the sport's greatest competition at black belt. Back in the Worlds this year, the American had the objective of being the first non-Brazilian to win the title twice, a milestone not even BJ Penn has reached.
As he didn't do so great in the absolute, the Xande and Saulo Ribeiro student focused all his energy on his weight group and beat his opponents one by one till meeting a talented young Antonio Braga Neto in the final. The silver medal was not what Rafael had hoped for, but the American has shown he has the head of a great champion and hopes to come back even harder in 2009.
GRACIEMAG.com: How do you assess your participation in the tournament?
Rafael Lovato Jr: I gave it my all. I wish I could have won again, but I can rest easy because I know I fought my hardest. I also know that there are some things I can improve on and I will be looking forward to coming back stronger.
GRACIEMAG.com: Being a world champion, did you feel any frustration for not having won again?
It definitely is frustrating to come so close to gold again and fall short. The feeling of winning a world championship is very intense and emotional, I was dreaming about feeling those emotions again. I wanted to put on a great show for my fans, family, coaches, and teammates and I can't help but to feel some disappointment in losing. Fortunately, Xande won everything and raised my spirit after my loss.
GRACIEMAG.com: What were the differences in the tournament between this year's and last year's?
In myself, I felt much more relaxed and focused. I felt like I was able to open up my game a lot more and try more techniques. This contributed to some of my mistakes, but that is okay, because it gives me an idea of where I can improve and I think I can still be much better. In the tournament, I think the biggest difference was the fact that it was more like Brazil than what it was last year. Last year was the first year here in America and I think that it took a year for everyone to adjust to the new setting.
GRACIEMAG.com: Have you noticed any growth in Jiu-Jitsu during this period of one year? Even thought there were no non-Brazilian champions, this year there were a lot of foreign finalists. What do you think of that?
Jiu-Jitsu is always growing, that is the beauty of it. There are many phenomenal athletes, that are putting on incredible performances. It is a great time for Jiu-Jitsu, I am as much of a fan as I am a competitor. I think the fact that the Mundials is in the US is helping the foreign athletes become better. They are getting to see the best of the best live and not just on a DVD. You get better just by sitting in that building. Also, the big teams are organizing their preparation in the US and that is helping the foreign athletes get much better training.
GRACIEMAG.com: What did you think of the young Braga Neto and experienced CObrinha, your adversaries at weight and in the absolute, respectively?
I felt that Braga Neto was very prepared for me. He did a great job of staying one step ahead. This was the third time for us to meet and I'm sure it won't be the last. Congrats to him. Cobrinha was pretty much what I was expecting. That guy can give any heavyweight a hard time. He is not just any small player, he is strong and he can put pressure on top. Along with his great guard, he is a very difficult opponent. I am a fan of his and I enjoyed watching him win again.
GRACIEMAG.com: Was it a surprise to see your teacher Xande win again in the absolute? Do you consider him the best in the world?
Of course it wasn't a surprise. I have the pleasure of training with Xande and experiencing first hand how incredible he is. I was very very happy to see him win again. He is a great person and I am lucky to have him as a friend and teammate. He is the best in the world, he has already proven that.
