Rafael Lovato Jr. vs. Nivaldo Oliveira
How “Good” are Rafael Lovato Jr.’s Pressure Passes?
Watch the Video and Read the Article Below To Find Out
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About the Author: Dan Faggella is a BJJ Academy Owner, No Gi Pan Am Champion at 130 pounds, and recognized expert in the area of leg locks. Dan writes or Jiu Jitsu Magazine, Jiu Jitsu Style, MMA Sports Mag, and more – find more of his leg lock articles and resources at http://microbjj.com/championbreakdown/
There’s a saying you were quite often in sports that rings true. It goes along the lines of “Pressure can either bust pipes or it can make diamonds.” This is normally refers to situations where the specific athlete has to come up big in the clutch.
This can be used in Brailian Jiu Jitsu as well, just with a different perspective. When you utilize pressure, you can either run your opponent into the ground for the win, or it’ll act against you giving your opposition an easy victory.
“Pressure Passing Pro”
While watching a recent Rafael Lovato match on YouTube against Nivaldo Oliveira, it was quite clear that Lovato Jr is master at pressure passing – and at the start of the match, it was quite clear that Nivaldo Oliveira knew what awaited him during this match.
When facing Lovato, it’s best that you either stay on your feet or work well with your guard. The second Rafael places you on your back; it’s as good as over. The relentless pace he sets is very difficult to match, that’s if you can keep up with him.
The pressure he asserts onto his opponents is extremely difficult to handle, and forces his opponents to exert vast energy to try and save themselves. Being a smart grappler that he is, Lovato uses this against his opponents to outwit them as well – for a full detailed analysis of Rafael Lovato Jr., along with Video Interviews, Articles and more check out his page exclusively http://scienceofskill.com/fighterslist/rafael-lovato-jr/
In the blink of an eye, he eases off the gas for a split second, allowing him to strike right when the opportunity arises. In this particular match, Oliveira did the best that he could to attack the legs of Lovato, and even was able to put Rafael on his back.
Unable to finish the match, Nivaldo soon found himself standing again with Lovato, who, in traditional fashion, scored a takedown and began working the guard. In a fantastic display of pressure and power, Lovato worked his way into mount, and seemingly scored an arm triangle at will.
Keeping Calm
I seem to harp on this almost every time I discuss a Rafael Lovato match with someone. For someone that is so highly aggressive and powerful, Rafael refuses to lose his cool in the eye of the storm.
Even when Nivaldo was hawking his leg like a vulcher, Lovato was as cool as the other side of the pillow and didn’t even flinch. Being able to master this aspect of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is the key for someone that relies heavily on their pressuring abilities as well as their strength.
So what did we learn today? That pressure bursts pipes or it can make diamonds…or it can pass your guard with ease and score an easy submission victory. Don’t believe me? Well, just let Rafael Lovato show you what it can do.
-Dan Faggella
