Bellator MMA retained the services of the high-flying, hard-swinging Brazilian.
Fighter Jonas Vilharinho (11 wins, 2 losses, 1 draw), considered one of the most talented fighters in the featherweight division of Brazilian MMA, will face Frenchman Yves Landau (20 wins, 9 losses) on May 17th. He made his Bellator debut. The 33-year-old first made headlines on the big stage during the 2021 season of Dana White’s Contender Series. He won with a spinning wheel kick, but was not awarded a contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Vilharinho spoke to Sherdog about this new fight, where he talked about his expectations of fighting in a major organization and the fight itself at Bellator Paris.
“I’m really looking forward to my debut and I’ll be playing against the French in Paris,” Vilharinho told Sherdog. “I remember my debut match at Jungle Fight, where I fought to loud cheers against a fighter from my hometown of São Paulo. But I like to play mental games against my opponents. So I really love competing in that position, and the support for me is a big motivation for me.”
After winning the Contender Series, Vilharinho instead transferred to Legacy Fighting Alliance, where he unsuccessfully fought for the organization’s featherweight title. Since then, the Brazilian has won two consecutive matches, but this will be his first in almost 16 months. Excited to fight again, Vilharinho talked a lot about his opponent and the new organization.
“Landu is an experienced opponent who has fought 30 times,” Virharinho analyzed. “That one [has won five fights in a row], [is
a] southpaw, [a] He’s a striker and plays a very similar game to me. We’ll see who plays the game better and what strategies those at a disadvantage in the game use. I can’t wait for my debut, [because] I love Bellator, and I really
[excited] To be part of the history of that amazing event. I am having a great camp with great sparring partners led by head coach Rafael Feijao.Definitely bring my best version [my long-awaited] Bellator debut. ”
Bellator fan Vilharinho watched the lightweight grand prix closely. He commented on the close fight in the main event of Bellator Paris between Usman Nurmagomedov and Alexandre Chablis.
“It’s hard to choose,” said the Brazilian. “They’re both very tough and it’s going to be a war, but I believe Nurmagomedov will win because it’s going to be an endurance fight, and I think Nurmagomedov is more durable.”
With the merger of Bellator and the Professional Fighters League, this new recruit has seen other Bellator fighters participate in the 2024 tournament. Although he isn’t thinking about his next opponent, he wouldn’t say no to participating in a future million-dollar PFL tournament.
“It’s like a wonderful dream coming true,” Virharinho explained. “But it has to be done in stages. For now I will concentrate 100% on the rando, which will be a difficult challenge.”
