After a successful return to fighting following a three-year absence, former Bellator middleweight champion Rafael Lovato Jr. is unsure if he will continue his MMA career. Due to cavernoma, a brain condition involving abnormally formed blood vessels, Lovato Jr. (11-0) was forced to put his career in the cage on hold soon after defeating Gegard Mousasi to claim gold at Bellator 223. Over 42 months later, Lovato Jr. returned to action, defeating Taiga Iwasaki in the first round with an arm lock submission at Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2022 in Tokyo.