LAST ROUND, BEST ROUND

THE PROJECT

For ADCC 2024, we partnered with legendary athlete Rafael Lovato Jr. to document what would become one of the most inspiring chapters of his storied career. Our team followed Lovato during the final stretch of his training camp, spending two days capturing candid photography and vérité-style filmmaking as he prepared for his last attempt at ADCC gold.

From Oklahoma to the global stage in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena, we traveled alongside Rafael to document his full competition journey. Over event week, we filmed behind-the-scenes moments, warm-ups, team interactions, walkouts, and every match of his remarkable run in the -99kg division.

At 41 years old, Lovato pushed through one of the toughest divisions in the sport to reach the ADCC 2024 finals, ultimately earning the silver medal—a testament to his longevity, discipline, and championship spirit. His performance added another milestone to his historic ADCC legacy: over 19 years of competition, five podium finishes, and a standing record of most submissions in the -88kg division (6 total).

Our goal was to create an intimate, immersive visual record of an athlete closing one chapter and cementing his legend in another. The final deliverables included a short documentary film, a collection of cinematic portrait and action photography, and a library of social-ready assets capturing the emotion, grit, and gravity of Rafael’s final ADCC campaign.

This project stands as one of our most meaningful collaborations—a celebration of an icon, a career, and the timeless pursuit of greatness.