J. Bilharinho is undefeated as a professional in six fights. Photo: Leonardo Fabri/Disclosure
Last Saturday (11), Jonas Bilharinho made history in national MMA by becoming the first athlete to win two titles simultaneously in the MMA. Jungle Fight. The organization's bantamweight champion, the 24-year-old athlete moved up a category and knocked out Fabiano Soldado to also take home the featherweight belt. With that, Bilharinho only has one goal in mind for the future: signing a contract with the UFC.
In an interview with SUPER FIGHTS, Bilharinho stated that an agreement with the largest MMA organization on the planet would be the most logical step for his career at the current time. “There is no other step for me to take. I no longer want to walk sideways or diagonally, I just want to move forward, in the UFC. Always the UFC. For me, I would fight in the UFC next week”, said the athlete. “The only one who’s going to get a ‘yes’ from me is Dana White.”
The revelation from Team Nogueira also celebrated his good adaptation to the featherweight category, in which he felt at the peak of his physical form. “I became a monster of strength. I clenched my fist to punch and the impression I had was that my hand was going to break, I was so strong”, he analyzed. “Now I found my category.”
Furthermore, Bilharinho commented on his expectations for the future, his attempt to join the TUF Brasil 4 cast, his weaknesses as a fighter, the controversial fight with Mário Israel and his admiration for Conor McGregor.
Check out the full interview below:
What does being the first champion in two different categories mean to you personally? Jungle Fight?
Personally, I was very happy to be able to bring this to my gym, because no achievement is individual, although the sport is individual. This is the result of a lot of work, of investment by many people. It's not just me investing time in myself. There's Alex Gazé, who spends all his time strategizing for me, polishing me in Muay Thai. And it's not just the fighting part: there's image management, family, friends, everything, everything. The Minotaur was a father to me in this camp, master Vander Valverde, who is the headcoach from Team Nogueira. It was an achievement, in addition to being professional, it was a personal achievement to bring a historic milestone to my academy. I'm very happy.
Bilharinho trains with veteran Alex Gazé (left). Photo: Reproduction/Facebook
And now, with two titles in your hands, what do you think about your career next?
There is no other step for me to take. I no longer want to walk sideways or diagonally, I just want to move forward, in the UFC. Always the UFC. I've already denied proposals for events in Dubai, I've already denied dozens of proposals for events in Brazil, I've denied proposals for Bellator, which is the second biggest event in the world. The only one who will get a “yes” from me is Dana White.
But what would be your plan if the invitation doesn't come?
Then I won't have any other way. If the invitation doesn't come, I will eventually have to defend it, but it wouldn't be by my choice. For me, I would fight in the UFC next week. If I were to change events, I would change to another event here in Brazil, to add more belts to my career. Because, for example, if I defend the featherweight belt, where will I end up? I will be in exactly the same place as I am now. And when I defend the bantamweight belt? I will be in the same place I am now. My tendency would be to change events and win other belts. Honestly, if the fact that I'm the first champion in history with two Jungle belts doesn't put me in the UFC, nothing will. So, I'm not going to insist on the event.
At this moment, are you able to do anything to “dig” a spot in the UFC?
There's not much way I can look for the UFC, because the invitation is always made from the top down. But it would be really helpful if the media could help me with this, trying to get Dana to reach me somehow. Because I'm sure he already knows my name and has already followed my path. Last year, a list of names to be signed by the UFC came out and I was second, when I wasn't even Jungle champion yet. The first name was that of the Vitor miranda and he has already been hired. I think the picture should be similar now, but the official invitation hasn't really come yet. So, whoever is reading, if you can do any campaign, anything to help get Dana's attention, please! [laughter]
Alongside his team, Bilharinho celebrates winning the JF featherweight title. Photo: Disclosure
You mentioned the name of Vitor miranda, who was a fighter who spent several years on the national scene until finally being hired by the UFC. And his arrival in Ultimate only happened because of TUF Brasil, where he was runner-up. You even tried to get into TUF Brasil 4, right? How was this experience?
I wanted to enter the lightweight division, because I wouldn't be able to hit 61 kg [indoors] four times within the program. And the production team said no, they wanted me to fight in the bantamweight division because I was already champion in that category. But can I tell the truth? It's not repression, not at all. If I could choose between being a TUF champion and entering the UFC, and being a two-division Jungle champion and entering the UFC, I would choose the second option. In addition to this being a more unique feat, it is something I have wanted for a long time. I told people “I'm going to get this belt and it's better not to go to TUF”, but everyone said that TUF was a safer path. But it's not a question of security, it's a question of merit, of what's best for me in the long term.
As the Jungle bantamweight and featherweight champion, in which category do you project the future of your career?
Pity. No doubt. I became a monster strong. I clenched my fist to punch and the impression I had was that my hand was going to break, I was so strong. I felt very, very strong. One thing I always noticed when fighting cocks – and I'm not even talking about aesthetics, but rather technical ones – was that the back part of my body was very weakened. The lower back was weakened, the glutes were greatly reduced. The shorts were even loose. The back of the thigh, shoulders, chest... The physical part was weakened, even though I gained back 10, 11 kg. I weighed 71, 72 kg, and I was very lacking in muscle mass because of my height – I'm 1,81 m. I was watching the video of my last fight, when I went to hug my team, and I saw the back of my leg, my butt, my back, they were huge. I was very strong, weighing 76 kg. That right there is the physical shape I need to fight. There I was truly strong, alive in the fight, fast. Now I found my category.
What was the weight cutting process like when you were fighting at bantamweight?
For lack of a better word, it was hell. It was horrible. I dropped 16 kg, more or less, from 77 to 61. It's a lot, something very sacrificing. Even in my penultimate fight, against Mário Israel, I even came in a little dehydrated to fight, as I only gained eight kilos. It was all bad. Everything could have gone wrong, but I'm glad it worked out.
Billarinho and Israel fought in the Jungle Fight 67. Photo: Disclosure/Leonardo Fabri
You mentioned the fight against Mário Israel, which caused a lot of controversy from people who thought you lost the fight. Despite your focus being on the UFC, do you think about one day taking this fight clean once and for all to put an end to these questions?
Look, questioning others will never make me doubt anything. Other people's opinions will always be other people's and mine will always be mine. Obviously there are opinions that I consider, but I will usually ask for those. There is no point in anyone trying to post something offensive in the media, nothing acidic, because I can guarantee these people that nothing will affect me. If I wasn't shaken by his kick to my head during the fight, it won't be a little opinion on Instagram and Facebook that will shake me. I'm pretty cold about these things.
The fight, for me, happened in a very, very clear way. I lost the first round, but in the second I found the distance and struck much more than I was struck. I wasn't put down, I won the round. Third round, same thing. For me, this whole doubt was generated by the opinion of Luciano Andrade [commentator on the Combate channel, which broadcast the fight]. When Rhoodes [Lima, narrator] asks him what he thought of the second round, I think that, out of shock, not to mention that he didn't have an opinion, he ended up saying that he was more on Mário Israel's side. But, really, I think he didn't have an opinion there and he leaned towards the champion. If you replay this fight and put it on mute, you won't be able to have a different opinion. You'll see that I hit more and that's final. I have no doubt, I won that fight there, and whoever thinks I didn't, that's the problem with whoever thinks I didn't. The belt will remain here on my shoulder. I already gave the rematch and he was the one who didn't want it. When he wants to book a fight with me, I'm here to fight him. But now it will have to be 66 kg.
So you're not going to defend the bantamweight belt?
No. The future bantamweight champion of Jungle Fight It will be Felipe “Cabocão” Colares, from Team Nogueira. He's a little monster, an undefeated record of 4-0, one of the best mixers that is there in CT. This is the future of the category of Jungle Fight.
As it is an event on a global scale, the UFC has athletes from different backgrounds, who have different strengths. In what aspects do you think you need to improve your game to prepare for this scenario?
That's an excellent question. I'm always working on my weakest point. If I think my takedown defense is bad, I work on my takedown defense. If I think it's my resistance, I work on my resistance, and so on. What I think is weakest in my game, honestly, is when I'm on the ground working on top. Hey guys who are thinking about facing me! That's what I'm working on a lot in my gym, putting people down and controlling them from above. That's what I do worst for now. Otherwise, I'm very well trained: it's very difficult to hold myself down, my bottom boats are excellent, putting myself down is also very complicated, I also find it quite easy to fall due to my speed. In striking, I don't even need to say much: it's my origin, I'll always be strong.
There are some fighters who debut in the UFC, but who only perform at events held in Brazil. Do you prefer to start fighting here to gain experience or are you already thinking about fighting abroad, precisely to become better known to other audiences?
I would love to fight in Las Vegas, for example. It's the capital of fights and I would love to fight there. I have no problem fighting in Brazil – in fact, the Brazilian fans are a show in itself, putting out that energy. I was once a cornerman Ron Jason and I saw that it is wonderful, but nothing stops me from wanting to go outside. Quite the opposite: I speak English and it would be great to appear in front of a different audience, even due to sponsorship issues. Companies abroad can invest a little more than those here, which still have a bit of prejudice, with a slightly retrograde mentality regarding MMA. Until this is resolved, the best way would be to fight outside.
Billiards beat Júnior Pará in October 2012. Photo: Disclosure/Jungle Fight
About the fact that you speak English: how important do you think this is for your career, especially for an athlete thinking about fighting abroad?
I think this will always be something that adds to my image. Obviously, there is no point in speaking English and “getting into trouble” [laughs], but the fact that you speak English will always be a positive point. Every athlete should learn to speak at least basic English, because most translators don't translate what the athlete is saying correctly. It's not even because they make a mistake in English, but it's just that they don't say everything the fighter said. For example, these collectives with the Conor McGregor and the José Aldo: the public only knows 70%, 60% of what Aldo said, because sometimes he spoke very long sentences and it's not possible for the translator to hear it all and be clear to the audience. A lot of information is lost, and the biggest loser is the athlete himself. I would advise that everyone learn to speak the minimum, basic English to at least convey their opinions to the public. And the public likes to see the athlete at least trying to speak English.
Returning to your journey towards the UFC. You spoke a while ago about the importance of the Minotaur in your career. Who do you think could be your greatest ally, your “godfather” who could help you move forward in the negotiations?
I think Wallid [Ismail, president of Jungle Fight]. Wallid is the guy, very “fast”. He's always running after everything, he's always busy. In that last Jungle, I saw a funny scene: he was eating lunch with one hand, all curled up, with his mouth full, and, with the other hand, talking on the phone, arranging something with someone. The guy doesn't even stop to eat. The Minotaur too. He has a lot of influence, obviously, and any help is valuable, but Wallid “rush” has already introduced several other Jungle athletes into the UFC and I could be one more.
And where do you see yourself in this UFC featherweight division?
I'm going to go deep, into humility. I'm going to try myself. It's normal for athletes to think they're the best, that they beat everyone, because we can see holes in our opponents. So, we know that we could explore and that there are chances of victory. But the athlete's biggest mistake is thinking that he doesn't have these holes. I know that everyone sees dozens, hundreds of holes in my fights, and that's where they try to attack. That's why I study myself a lot, as if I were an opponent of myself, to know what I need to do to cover my holes. But this category is very busy, it's very complicated. McGregor has made waves in the category and it's interesting.
Is there a fighter in this category that you admire, who you draw inspiration from?
McGregor is one, I'll tell you. He is a very polite, very intelligent guy. People think he talks nonsense, but he looks at where the nonsense he spoke put him. They say he's the new one Chael Sonnen, but I disagree. He did not attack any nation, he is not speaking ill of the persona of José Aldo, but rather the athlete José Aldo. He is precise as an athlete and, for better or worse, he wins fights. He is very good as an athlete.
And how do you project your career in the coming years? How do you see yourself in the featherweight division in the near future?
It's very complicated to talk about prediction in MMA. You make a prediction, a study, a plan and then you lose the next fight. And there? It was all over, everything went down the drain. As some athletes say – the Ben henderson He keeps saying, my focus is always on the next fight. One thing is what I think will happen, and another is what I would like to happen. What I think will happen always depends on the next result, but what I would like to happen is for me to join the UFC, do some fights on the preliminary card. I would like to get out of the preliminary card very quickly, and I hope that with one or two wins I can prove my worth, and then a little later, maybe a year and a half or two, I will be facing the ranked people. Then I would be on a slightly different level.
Billiards highlights the precision of challenger McGregor (photo) as a fighter. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
You said you want to gain prominence and get out of the preliminary card in a short time. Nowadays we see that, in the UFC, winning victories does not necessarily guarantee an athlete a prominent position, as each person's style also plays a role. How do you see this “spectacle” factor when developing your fighting style?
As athletes, we tend to think a lot about the result, even to protect ourselves. But I, as a person and as a lover of sport, am sure of what I'm going to tell you now: the result may even be less important than the show. The show for TV and the public is more important than the result. Sometimes, it is more interesting for the athlete to risk a result to keep the show good. This is something that is worth it in the long run. You see that there are brilliant athletes who, for losing one or two fights, are fired. Want a good example: Jon Fitch. He had a ridiculously regular, positive record, he beat everyone, he was a tough guy. But he lost a fight to the Demian Maia and was fired. A boring fighter, unbearable to watch his fights. Horrible, horrible, nobody wanted to see that guy fight. He's a fighter that Dana White couldn't count on to do a main event, for example. This is horrible. Then you see a Clay guida of life. When is a guy like that going to be fired? One Diego Sanchez? Never, never. These guys only stop fighting when they want, and that's very important.
Finally, leave your message to your fans who follow your fights.
I wanted to thank the energy that everyone sent to me in this fight. I know this was fundamental to my victory. Thanks to everyone who followed. Sport wouldn't be what it is if it weren't for the public. I wanted to ask that the same energy you put into me winning the belt be put into my journey to the UFC. Anyone who can make noise to help me, please, I'd be grateful.
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