From cleaning bathrooms in rural Brazil to PFL San Diego: Ilara Joanne's long road to the big stage

Brazilian featherweight Ilara Joanne will step into the PFL cage against former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion Shannon Clark at PFL San Diego on June 27, carrying with her a story that stretches from the rural interior of Ceará to the highest levels of professional MMA.

Joanne, who fights under the nickname ‘Arya Stark’, grew up in the backlands of northeastern Brazil before relocating to the state capital, Fortaleza, where she first discovered combat sports. “I started training in capoeira, kickboxing and jiu-jitsu,” she explained in her native Portuguese. “By the time I was 19, I had my pro debut. It’s when I decided this is how I’d be spending the rest of my life. As soon as I stepped off the cage, I told my coach that this is the life I wanted for me.”

The path has not been straightforward. Despite putting on competitive performances across both Bellator and the PFL, consistent winning streaks have proved elusive. For this camp, Joanne returned to her home gym, Pitbull Brothers in Brazil, working under coach Valdines Silva alongside head coaches and UFC featherweight veterans Patricio and Patricky Freire. She believes a renewed focus on her grappling could be the difference.

“I’m betting on my grappling. I’m putting in the effort to reawaken my love for jiu-jitsu. I love jiu-jitsu but I feel it’s gone somewhat by the wayside in my MMA bouts,” she said. “We all collaborated on my strategy, so we’ll have the best possible outcome on fight night.”

Joanne has studied Clark carefully and is not taking the challenge lightly. “No one should be underestimated. She’s coming off defending her LFA championship belt. Her strongest attributes are her willpower and physical strength. I believe that my key advantages are my experience and technical level.”

Beyond the result on fight night, Joanne is conscious of the message her journey sends to fighters just starting out. “You only lose if you give up. The important thing is to overcome all obstacles and to never give up. Eventually, hard work is rewarded. That’s what happened to me and I’m very thankful to God for it.”