Rafael Lovato Jr. is returning to ONE Championship for his second appearance – booked to face Pawel Jaworski at ONE Fight Night 47!
Lovato’s promotional debut last year set the bar high, and this fight looks like the next step in building toward the top of the rankings.
He picked up a decision win over two-time ADCC world champion Giancarlo Bodoni at ONE 173, a result widely viewed as an upset at the time – Bodoni may have entered as the favorite, but Lovato’s experience proved decisive once the match started.
This will also mark Jaworski’s second appearance for ONE Championship, following a debut just months ago that came with immediate title stakes.
He fell short in that outing, losing a decision to Tye Ruotolo for the promotion’s welterweight belt, and now appears to be shifting his focus elsewhere.
Jaworski is moving up to middleweight for this fight, a division that currently has no champion, meaning a win over a name like Lovato could put him in strong position to become the inaugural titleholder.
Lovato has that same opportunity in front of him – a win here would put him on a two-fight winning streak and move him even closer to a title shot of his own.
Stylistically, though, this matchup looks very different from his fight with Bodoni.
Jaworski isn’t expected to lean on wrestling, and will more likely try to draw Lovato into his elite guard, hunting for leg attacks from there or simply keeping him defensive long enough to secure a decision.
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