Rafael Lovato Jr. (10-0) overcame four-to-one betting odds to dethrone Gegard Mousasi (45-7-2) in the main event of Bellator London, winning by majority decision on scores of 47-47, 48-47, and 48-47.
In a loaded night of action, topping a 19-fight bill, Lovato Jr. withstood a dragoon of a defending champion in the third and fourth rounds to close out the title tilt the stronger combatant. It was give and take through the first two rounds. Then Mousasi got his range down through the middle stages. But the 35-year-old Lovato opened the fifth frame with a takedown and mauled his man the rest of the way.
“This is the dream,” Lovato Jr. said post-fight. “It’s an honor. London, you guys are sharing the best moments in my life with me. This is a dream come true.”
“This was my life’s work,” Lovato also said via MMA Junkie. He said he looks forward to hanging onto his belt and reaping in the benefits while he’s at it. “I want the biggest arenas, the biggest fights. It’s time to capitalize.”
Lovato Jr., from Cincinnati, is still undefeated in his MMA career. After turning professional in 2014 out of Legacy FC, the new middleweight champion is now 6-0 under the Bellator banner.
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