R. Lovato (right) after winning the Bellator title. Photo: Disclosure/Twitter @bellator
Bellator's current middleweight champion (up to 83,9 kg), Rafael Lovato, surprised the MMA world by confirming that he suffers from a rare disease and must take a break from fighting to undergo treatment. The North American admitted to having cavernoma, which causes the abnormal development of blood vessels in the brain. In an interview with 'The Joe Rogan Experience', the athlete spoke about the case.
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“I'm not officially retiring. I'm definitely out at the moment. I'm seeing more doctors and trying to learn more about it (the disease). Obviously, I want to keep fighting. I still have hope that if I continue to see more doctors and gain more knowledge (I will pursue the career). This is something so rare and unique. Nobody knows much about it. There are some people saying, 'No, no way.' And I have these other experts and people who have dealt with this who are like, 'Yeah, it's okay.' It’s undefined,” he stated.
Champion since June 2019, when he surprised the world and beat Gegard Mousasi, the 36-year-old American stated that, despite being in the best phase of his career, he will have no problem confirming his retirement if he is not allowed to return to the cage due to his condition.
“If it really isn't safe and I'm never released, I've finally reached a point where I can accept that and I'll move on with my life. If they (Bellator) need to schedule a fight to determine a new champion, that's fine. I will do everything I can to be approved to return. But this is a bit of a period of uncertainty”, he concluded.
Currently, Lovato, who debuted in the sport in September 2014, has 10 appearances and has never been beaten in an official contest. The athlete has not yet defended his title.
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