Ilara Joanne details path from cleaning bathrooms to PFL

Brazilian featherweight Ilara Joanne once scrubbed bathrooms and worked security shifts to keep her fighting career alive. Now she's preparing for Shannon Clark at PFL San Diego on June 27.

Joanne, who goes by the nickname "Arya Stark," told Sherdog that her path from rural Ceara to the PFL cage required years of side gigs and sacrifice. She relocated to the state capital of Fortaleza as a teenager to train capoeira, kickboxing and jiu-jitsu, making her pro debut at 19. "As soon as I stepped off the cage, I told my coach that this is the life I wanted for me," she said.

Ilara Joanne's grappling reboot at Pitbull Brothers

Between her 2019 Bellator debut and now, Joanne worked at a pizzeria and twice received free lodging at her gym. She also traveled to Japan, a destination she never imagined reaching. The fighter said those hardships fed her dream and she never doubted the work would pay off.

For Clark, a former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion, Joanne prepared at Pitbull Brothers in Brazil under head coaches Patricio and Patricky Freire. She worked extensively with grappling coach Valdines Silva to revive the jiu-jitsu that had taken a backseat in recent bouts. Joanne believes her technical skill and experience will counter Clark's strength and willpower when the two meet on ESPN 2 at 7 p.m. ET Saturday.

Joanne has struggled to string together wins across Bellator and PFL, but she said the new camp approach gives her confidence. Her advice to fighters starting out echoed the lesson she learned the hard way: you only lose if you quit, and hard work eventually gets rewarded.

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• Sherdog — ‘Arya Stark’ details journey from cleaning bathrooms to PFL San Diego