Paweł Jaworski Submits Rafael Lovato Jr. at ONE Fight Night 47

Poland's Paweł Jaworski produced the biggest result of his young career on Friday, September 4, 2026, submitting Rafael Lovato Jr. in the first round of their middleweight submission grappling bout at ONE Fight Night 47 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The 22-year-old from Warsaw needed just 1:51 to force one of the most accomplished grapplers of the past two decades to tap to a lateral kneebar.

The finish earned Jaworski a US$50,000 performance bonus and moved his career record to 44-8. It was also his first appearance at middleweight in ONE Championship, and his first win inside the promotion.

How the Match Unfolded

The two locked up early and Jaworski quickly worked his way to the back, staying attached while he hunted for the finish. Lovato Jr. lifted Jaworski and slammed him to the canvas in an attempt to break the grip, but the Pole held on.

From there he shimmied around to the front and slid straight into the position he has built his reputation on. The lateral kneebar was locked seconds later, and Lovato Jr. tapped at 1:51.

A Statement Against a Legend

Context matters here. Lovato Jr., 43, owns a place in the sport's record books that almost nobody can match. In 2007 he became the first athlete ever to complete the IBJJF Grand Slam in the gi, winning the European, Pan, Brasileiro and World Championships in a single year, and he did so as the first non-Brazilian ever to take the Brazilian National Championship at black belt. In June 2024 he became the first athlete to have won all four majors in both gi and no-gi. He is also a former Bellator middleweight world champion, and he arrived in Bangkok off a unanimous decision win over Giancarlo Bodoni on his ONE debut at ONE 173.

For a 22-year-old European to finish him inside two minutes says a great deal about where the continent's grappling talent sits right now.

From Warsaw to the World

Jaworski has spent the past two seasons competing wherever the best matches are: IBJJF mats in Europe and the United States, Polaris cards in the United Kingdom, ADCC EMEA, CJI trials, and now ONE Championship in Asia. His 2025 rookie season at black belt brought gold at the IBJJF No-Gi Pans, double gold at the IBJJF No-Gi European Championship in Rome, where he took the 85kg division and the absolute, and the 85kg title at the IBJJF No-Gi World Championship, sealed with an inside heel hook in the final.

His first ONE appearance came earlier this year at ONE Fight Night 41, where he challenged Tye Ruotolo for the ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Championship and pushed the champion for the full 10 minutes before losing a unanimous decision. Coming back to finish Lovato Jr. in his very next outing is the kind of turnaround that puts a European name firmly back in the title picture.

Polish Grappling on the Rise

The win continues a strong run for Poland on the international circuit. Jaworski trains at Academia Gorila in Warsaw, the same academy that produced Mateusz Szczeciński, who won the Polaris 38 welterweight Grand Prix and world title in July. Led by Marcin Polczyk and Jędrzej Loska, the Warsaw gym has become one of Europe's most productive competition programmes.

About Paweł Jaworski

Paweł Jaworski is a 22-year-old black belt from Warsaw, Poland, representing Academia Gorila under Marcin Polczyk and Jędrzej Loska. He came to martial arts through judo as a child and has since built one of the most feared leg lock games in the sport, based around inside and outside heel hooks, straight ankle locks and a distinctive reverse De La Riva entry system.

His record now stands at 44-8. His honours include the 2025 IBJJF No-Gi World Championship at 85kg, the 2025 IBJJF No-Gi Pan Championship, and double gold at the 2025 IBJJF No-Gi Europeans in both the 85kg division and the absolute, alongside Polaris wins over PJ Barch and Devhonte Johnson.

With a world title challenge already behind him and a marquee scalp now on his record, there is plenty for European fans to be excited about.

Image: ONE Championship broadcast.