Rafael Lovato Jr. vs Giancarlo Bodoni Match Announced

A huge grappling match is set to headline ONE Championship’s return to Denver, Colorado – as Rafael Lovato Jr. will take on Giancarlo Bodoni at ONE 173!

While the promotion hasn’t officially confirmed the bout yet, the news broke through none other than Tom DeBlass, who is the ONE’s Vice President of Submission Grappling, on his official Instagram account.

DeBlass didn’t mention the name of the event directly, but he did confirm both the date and location, which match perfectly with ONE 173:

One of the greatest American Jiu-Jitsu matches ever is going down.

It’s a dream clash between two of the best American grapplers of their generations.One is a legend with accomplishments across gi, no gi, and MMA, while the other is a reigning ADCC world champion and at the top of his game.

This will be the first time Lovato Jr. and Bodoni have ever faced each other, and it likely wouldn’t have happened if not for the unique format that ONE Championship offers.As typically, they’ve competed in separate divisions: Lovato Jr. has recently moved up to under 99kg, while Bodoni has remained at under 88kg.

Lovato Jr. comes into this match with decades of experience and accolades that include IBJJF world titles in both gi and no gi.After transitioning into MMA and going undefeated as a professional, he returned to competitive grappling and earned a silver medal at ADCC 2024 in the under 99kg division.

Bodoni, meanwhile, has established himself as the top man at under 88kg.He won his first ADCC title in 2022 and repeated the accomplishment in 2024, becoming the first man to win back-to-back championships in the division.