Joe Rogan Experience #10089 — Rafael Lovato Jr. Transcript

Transcript

0:00 Three, two, all right. Fantastic achievement. well um i guess i'll just kind of take you through the, the order of events here. Musashi was injured. And so, you know, I was basically training all year and I just picked right back up into camp. And it's Thursday. And so I go get my brain discoloration, like according to the scan itself, like you could see that, you know, it wasn't

5:10 And he's like, come back tomorrow and I'm going to give you some more information. we talked about last time. And so I'm like going, I'm, I'm, you know, in the airport, getting ready and your brain, um, forms these extra blood vessels, um, And these blood vessels grow and they can accumulate and sort of There's so many extreme cases of this disease where people have to have multiple surgeries to get them removed, seizures, vision issues, people go into comas, and then, of course, worst, worst case is even death.

8:49 out. You know, there's never been a time in my life where I thought, man, I should get my head What am I going to do? down there just from all the trips that I've done over the years. Um, so, you know, thankfully Mauricio, his brother the the thoughts and emotions i can't imagine that i mean it'd be so distracting during sparring as Yeah. I'm a mess right now. Like, uh, I don't know. Uh, you know, I, I'm just so uncertain of my health and what's going on.

13:20 right off the bat, it just like, it doesn't look good. You know, when you have a picture of it, And that has built up. you were to go right through my head, it could be right there. You know, you could essentially Getting hit in the head isn't good for your brain. brain that could be dangerous. And so this week I am literally not sleeping at all. I am crying

16:39 I shouldn't have been going as hard as what I've been going. And on this day, I'm in my third round of MMA sparring and I, I strained my hamstring bad. and my leg is just throbbing and I tried to get up. I couldn't get up. So I had to like, booked up, booked up, but we managed an appointment time for Monday of the third week, this fight with Masasi. And, uh, uh, you know, it, it took everything for me. Like, this sounds

20:23 And I'm ready to give up. Like most guys at 185 are around 210, but I'm already tall. I'm already naturally pretty lean. So I have to be very strict on my diet to get that low. And it took everything for me to not just pig out and just like totally give in. Um, and that's all I did. okay, what's going on? What brings you here? Didn't look at any pictures. Didn't, you know,

22:51 We do an evaluation and do some tests. And he literally finds nothing. You should continue doing what you do until it becomes a problem. uh, me and Mauricio. And as soon as we, we leave the door and we get to the elevator, the process of trying to get approved. We get everything into Bellator, let them know they got I can't kick. feeling better it didn't really i actually still feel it now uh it yeah um it was a situation the whole way. Um, but I could stand, so I could stand and all I'm doing

27:39 So the hardships and frustrations just continued as I'm dealing with my hamstring. get out. Um, and so I was just dealing with it with them, you know? And, um, and so we send We're unsure if we're going to approve. Oh, yeah. but at the same time, I'm just like, man, I need the yes. It was hard. a broken nose before cuts, rib things. Like there's always something, you know, you're never a hundred percent. You're always dealing with something. You know, I've, I've had a broken nose before cuts, rib things like there's always something, you know? Um, but, um, but it was, it was the stress of both in, in the uncertainty on if we would get to fight at all. Yeah. That was really hard. And for sure, that's why I got hurt. You know, that's 100% why I got hurt. Um, but anyways, um, finally on like

32:44 any. Cause I don't want them to buy tickets to London and you know, I'm'm ready and i'm like hey don't book anything just yet don't book any because i don't want them to buy tickets to london and you know i'm not fighting and i'm trying to like be And I'm like, you know, starting to just feel it like, OK, this is it. and it's just like this pain rushed through, and I'm like, oh, no, I did it again.

35:06 connections all throughout the world. And we found a yoga studio where my last few days we could go there and try to do whatever we could, where no one could see, you know, as far as like other I need to feel my takedowns. use your leg. Exactly. Exactly. Um, and you know, they just, uh, like the, the love and the Um, and, um, you know, going there, obviously I'm a big underdog, you know, uh, it's in London. Musashi has so much

38:40 for self-help books and all the other, you know, people that kind of came from And I'm backstage and I open, I opened the book and I hadn't opened it, uh, up to this point for. That's a great quote. It's the best, you know, every adversity carries with it the seed into this fight, all I wanted was that fight, like trying to get approved. That whole process

41:52 like wondering, you know, am I going to get hurt? And, um, and I could feel how all of that was to prep me for the fight, you know, everything that He's a musician. And when I when I walked out for this fight what I did the time that I spent with my dad. I was at church listening to him play the organ. And then we would go to the Academy and, And walking out to my dad playing the organ, you know, it just really, it took me to this place

45:21 And and everything we went through before the fight. It did. It did. He didn't really credit you for the fight. Gegard did. It did. but I felt like the way he handled it was uncharacteristic for him. I thanked him. Especially with one leg. He didn't know about that. Right. steroids yeah and not a little bit of steroids you're saying like monkey steroids that's what

48:37 I'm like, I have this brain disease, you know, that you know, may or may not be an issue here in a couple of days when we fight, did you respond to that? me i like that guy a lot yeah yeah um and uh i think it was after no yeah it was before he fought machida it you know, and, um, and I, you know, I, it brought out the best of me and the heart that I showed

51:38 Happy to do the rematch. And he really wants to talk to you. What did he see in the scan? He's a neurologist. He sees the same thing as everybody else. Europe, it's like one in 500. And so being that it's a rare disease and throw that into me doing I'm a little nervous, you know, because in my mind up to that point, I thought, well, since Europe approved me, I should be okay to continue getting approved and continue fighting.

56:00 favorable of me fighting, but he, the last thing he says is you really need to see a He's a younger guy, though, but he has a lot of experience with people with cavernoma. away so this is just a large bundle the small bundles are not of concern exactly um the large And he recommends against it. He said, no, we're not going, and make, make people feel better. And he recommends

59:12 um and i continue with my camp and it was in december that uh you know rich Rich and Bellator, they, you know, and let me just say, they have been super supportive. I was shooting for us to fight in Japan. They just did their first Bellator Japan, uh, on New now that'll be two commissions on paper that say no. for, for January. And I had students buying tickets to come to LA to, to be here at my fight.

1:02:36 And that's a big reason why I'm here today, Joe, let me get a brain scan done to know what's going on with my head, I fought nine times already. So he had done these operations on, you said, MMA fighters? sure. They made it, I mean, he made it sound like nothing too important happens there. It's more the area of the regular stuff. it is recommended against why is that doing?

1:06:22 and do your day-to-day stuff, But if you say that you're indefinitely on the sidelines, it seems to me that unless that are like, yeah, it's okay. as the champ trying to submit myself as one of the great champs of this era and, you know, defend that belt as long as possible and, you know, say goodbye. more about this. And, you know, if it's, if it's really unsafe and I'm not going to get approved ever, I finally got to a place where I can accept that, you know, and, uh, and I'm going to move

1:09:19 about, you know, or what I wanted to bring awareness to is like, you know, all these other states don't require scans. that we're going to learn and understand more of this disease and if it's possible, And he, they, they opened up a time for me to come out next month and speak with them face to face. roberto cyborg in a no-gay grappling match um he's a big fella yes yes what's that dude way

1:12:24 Yeah. To get a scan done. Yeah. You know, at some point in your life, it wouldn't hurt to get a scan done. let's say six months. But most people aren't fighters. Yeah. The thing is though, it doesn't take away the fact that I have another doctor recently, um, through the help of, uh, Justin Wren, big pygmy, um, Dr. Amen, but i'm gonna do it i going to do whatever I can.

1:15:52 sort of an indefinite retirement. I'm just working through this. And as people see me competing, that have gone into remission? man go away no worries i gotta see it right i mean how often do you get a chance to look at Gamma, Jamie just found you an option. Gamma knife treatment. And what does this machine do? You're going to get superpowers and shit.

1:19:06 Look at her. Dun, dun, dun. shocking sir kudos to you these are just the pictures obviously they look better on the disc But, yeah. But they weren't too concerned of those yet. That's crazy to look at, man. I want to learn more and try to understand this and see, you know, and helped people continue their careers that have it. jiu-jitsu again. But for me, it's like I train with my dad, you know what I mean?

1:25:30 And, um, and I had to really process and talk to all my loved ones and, and I've gotten to a place where, you know, I'm, I'm, I know I'm going to be fine. Like if I never get to fight again, things went away yeah i've never seen or heard anything like that um yeah and they don't know in a safe way, I definitely want to continue. I just now feel like I'm tapping into my

1:28:01 I'm just going to keep trying to see the best people that I can. He's one of their doctors for like 10 years, and we just found out about him and I'm trying to get in to see him as well to get more light on people that actually have, you know, sort of experience dealing with combat athletes that may have this condition. that to find out about that while you're flying to curitiba blow your hamstring out get through

1:30:29 proud. I wanted to, I wanted to be the one that made them world champion coaches. You know, my, if not in the world in that division. And you have your health. the, where I had to dig to, to, to, to be successful in that fight and the experience, together. And then me, you know, getting to that, getting to that moment and, uh, everyone cried, you know, everyone took a minute and everyone cried. And, um, you know, that is something that will live with me for the rest of my life. And I'm just so grateful that it happened. And, and we got, we got to be there. And, uh, and, you know, because there's so many factors

1:34:00 Like, even if the doctor didn't approve it, No, I really should. more and see what's possible you know um and they've been very generous with the time you know, um, and they've been very generous with the time, you know, uh, and not saying green light, uh, if they want to do something different here coming up in the spring and set believe that, um, you know, there's some, some, some things for me to still do with the company

1:37:43 come on here to tell It's a big upgrade, 10,000 square foot, just beautiful, beautiful place. We should let people know it's not just okay. Yeah. thank you so much for this opportunity