Ilara Joanne honored to fight Liz Carmouche at PFL, but says ‘I’m not afraid of her grappling’

Ilara Joanne | Photo via Cooper Neill, PFL

Ilara Joanne was an 18-year-old Muay Thai practitioner in Fortaleza, Brazil, when Liz Carmouche made her UFC debut against MMA superstar Ronda Rousey in the first female fight in UFC history in 2013. More then a decade later, she’s now entering a cage to face the PFL and Bellator veteran.

Carmouche vs. Joanne co-headlines PFL 2 on April 10 in Orlando, Fla., with both looking to advance in the 2025 flyweight tournament. Competing for a...