CHICAGO – When it comes to the last-minute shuffles involving his Bellator 198 appointment, Rafael Lovato Jr. is certainly taking the glass-half-full approach.

Of course, having to readjust after an entire camp preparing for a different opponent is never ideal. But, hey, it could be worse.

“I think the hardest part is when you wake up in the morning on Tuesday, and you get the news that you don’t have an opponent,” Lovato Jr. told MMAjunkie during a press conference on Thursday. “And you’re kind of left in limbo for a little while.”

Thankfully, the limbo didn’t last too long. After an eye issue forced John Salter (15-3 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) out of their Paramount-televised main-card middlweight bout, Lovato Jr. (7-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) got a replacement in Gerald Harris (23-5 MMA, 0-0 BMMA).

Lovato Jr. is thankful for a few things. He’s thankful – and respectful – to Harris, who came out of retirement (and dropped his doughnut) to take what will go on as a 188-pound catchweight bout. He’s thankful to Bellator for quickly fixing the situation so he “didn’t have to sleep another night” not knowing what would happen on Saturday.

And frankly, as far as short-notice repairs go, the grappling ace is not mad at the one he’ll meet in his fourth Bellator bout, which takes place at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., just outside Chicago.

“I think the change of opponent worked out about as good as it possibly could,” Lovato Jr. said. “To still have such a quality, reputable fighter such as Gerald. The Salter fight was, I think, such a big fight with title contentions lining up for the winner. I was definitely bummed at first, but now I think we still have a very exciting fight and everything worked out really well.

“Stylistically, they’re a lot different. Gerald is much more explosive. But (they still have a) similar wrestling background.”

But sometimes it’s not just about the skill set. Sure, as Lovato Jr. pointed out, there’s the fact that Harris has a win over Salter, back when the two still fought for the UFC. But that was more than seven years ago. Now, Salter was on a seven-fight streak – five of those in Bellator – and had positioned himself as a top contender.

Harris, a “The Ultimate Fighter” alum with UFC, WSOF, Legacy FC, and WSOF stints to his credit, also comes in on a streak, having most recently slammed Matt McKeon at an Xtreme Fight Night event to earn a fourth straight win. But he’s also still a short-notice replacement, who’s also making his Bellator debut.

The Salter vs. Lovato Jr. booking had been widely regarded as a No. 1 contender fight. Obviously, we’re not getting that one anymore. But Lovato Jr., who’s finished six of the seven bouts in his unbeaten MMA career, still hopes the change doesn’t hurt his own status.

“Even though he’s coming in late, I think he’s still a dangerous opponent,” Lovato Jr. said. “He’s got nothing to lose. He seems very motivated and happy to be here. That makes him dangerous, so I think a quality, a good win over him definitely still catapults me.

“He’s been there. I think he has, three or four times as many fighters as I do. I’m hoping that, even though it’s not Salter, when my hand gets raised they’re still considering me as a No. 1 contender.”

For more on Bellator 198, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.