Ilara Joanne was an 18-year-old Muay Thai practitioner in Fortaleza, Brazil, when Liz Carmouche made her UFC debut towards MMA celebrity Ronda Rousey within the first feminine struggle in UFC historical past in 2013. Extra then a decade later, she’s now coming into a cage to face the PFL and Bellator veteran.
Carmouche vs. Joanne co-headlines PFL 2 on April 10 in Orlando, Fla., with each seeking to advance within the 2025 flyweight event. Competing for a $500,000 prize feels surreal for a girl who cashed lower than $200 for her first MMA win simply months after Rousey vs. Carmouche passed off, nevertheless it’s even crazier to see “Lady-Rilla” standing throughout the cage.
“I had no thought how large the MMA world was,” Joanne advised MMA Preventing about her professional debut. “I didn’t comprehend it was doable to earn a living preventing in MMA. I solely realized it after I made my MMA debut and thought, ‘I’m getting paid to do that?’ It opened my eyes. [Watching Rousey vs. Carmouche] after which making my MMA debut, that’s after I realized I cherished this, and I may make a dwelling off of this.”
“I’m honored to be preventing her. I watched her first struggle on TV, with Ronda, and by no means imagined in my life that I might be going through that lady who has contributed a lot for the game on a worldwide stage. Relaxation assured that I’m ready to do my finest and be a part of historical past by beating her.”
Joanne began coaching Muay Thai when she was 10 years previous and began watching MMA a while later, particularly with Cris Cyborg’s success below the Strikeforce banner. however by no means actually considered MMA as a profession till she was supplied a struggle with future UFC fighter Viviane Pereira in her debut, She misplaced by second-round knockout, after which misplaced her second struggle by way of submission months later, however she was hooked.
Joanne gained eight of her subsequent 10 bouts to earn a cope with Bellator, the place her teammates Patricio Pitbull, Patricky Pitbull, Leandro Higo and Matheus Mattos had been already constructing their names and legacies, and defeated Alejandra Lara, Bec Rawlings and Denise Kielholtz to attain her three wins in seven Bellator appearances. Now preventing for PFL, having gone 1-1 within the firm in 2024, Joanne celebrates the brand new event format, strolling away from the purpose system for a extra conventional grand prix.
“I like the brand new guidelines, we don’t have that strain that you just solely advance in the event you get the end on this period of time,” Joanne mentioned. “That might be good for me, to take the struggle to the later rounds. I’m able to go three rounds if I have to. The technique can change as quickly because the struggle begins however that change will be very constructive for me when it comes to technique. You’re extra relaxed and targeted to solely win the struggle.”
Carmouche had an ideal run in Bellator with seven victories in seven fights, six of these by way of stoppage, beating ex-Bellator champion Juliana Velasquez thrice. Carmouche tapped Kana Watanabe in her PFL debut, however then misplaced a choice to Taila Santos, and now appears to re-start her run in direction of the belt.
“I feel that nearly each opponent she’s confronted feared her grappling, however that’s my factor,” Joanne mentioned. “I’m not afraid of her grappling. I’m ready on the ft, I’ve advanced rather a lot since final yr, however I’m much more ready to grapple if wanted be.”
