When Liz Carmouche made her historic UFC debut against Ronda Rousey back in 2013, Ilara Joanne was an 18-year-old Muay Thai practitioner in Fortaleza, Brazil. More than a decade later, Joanne is now preparing to step into the cage to face the seasoned PFL and Bellator veteran herself.
Carmouche and Joanne are scheduled to co-headline PFL 2 on April 10 in Orlando, Florida, with both competitors aiming to advance in the 2025 flyweight tournament. Competing for a life-changing $500,000 prize feels surreal for Joanne, especially considering her first MMA win, which occurred just months after the famous Rousey vs. Carmouche fight, earned her less than $200. Facing “Girl-Rilla” across the cage makes the moment even more significant.
Reflecting on her early career, Joanne shared that she initially had no concept of the scale of the MMA world. She didn`t realize it was possible to earn a living fighting in the sport until her professional debut. That moment, combined with having watched the groundbreaking Rousey vs. Carmouche fight, solidified her love for MMA and her belief that she could make it her profession.
Joanne expressed her respect for her upcoming opponent, stating, “I’m honored to be fighting her. I watched her first fight on TV, with Ronda, and never imagined in my life that I would be facing that woman who has contributed so much for the sport on a global stage. Rest assured that I’m prepared to do my best and be part of history by beating her.”
Joanne began training Muay Thai at age 10 and later developed an interest in watching MMA, particularly following Cris Cyborg`s success. However, she didn`t seriously consider MMA as a career until she was offered a debut fight against future UFC fighter Viviane Pereira. Despite losing that first fight by knockout and her second by submission months later, she was completely captivated by the sport.
Following those initial setbacks, Joanne went on a strong run, winning eight of her next 10 fights. This earned her a contract with Bellator, joining teammates like Patricio Pitbull and Patricky Pitbull. During her seven appearances for Bellator, she secured notable victories over Alejandra Lara, Bec Rawlings, and Denise Kielholtz. Now competing under the PFL banner, where she holds a 1-1 record in 2024, Joanne is enthusiastic about the promotion`s return to a traditional grand prix format, moving away from the previous point system.
Regarding the updated rules, Joanne commented, “I like the new rules, we don’t have that pressure that you only advance if you get the finish in this amount of time. That could be good for me, to take the fight to the later rounds. I’m ready to go three rounds if I need to. The strategy can change as soon as the fight starts but that change can be very positive for me in terms of strategy. You’re more relaxed and focused to only win the fight.”
Liz Carmouche had a dominant undefeated run in Bellator, securing seven victories, six of which were stoppages, including three wins against former champion Juliana Velasquez. In her PFL debut, Carmouche submitted Kana Watanabe but then faced a decision loss to Taila Santos. She is now looking to regain momentum towards securing a PFL title shot.
Addressing Carmouche`s reputation, particularly her grappling prowess, Joanne stated confidently, “I think that almost every opponent she’s faced feared her grappling, but that’s my thing. I’m not afraid of her grappling. I’m prepared on the feet, I’ve evolved a lot since last year, but I’m even more prepared to grapple if needed be.”
Percy Harlow