All in Good Time for Jonas Bilharinho

Jonas Bilharinho keeps an eye on tomorrow by focusing on today.

The former Jungle Fight titleholder will make his Bellator MMA debut opposite Yves Landu as part of the Bellator Champions Series 2 main draw this Friday at Accor Arena in Paris. Bilharinho, 33, has long sought access to one of the sport’s top promotions, even with the Ultimate Fighting Championship having elected to pass on his services following a spinning wheel kick knockout of Canaan Kawaihae on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021. He steps into his first Bellator assignment with an 11-2-1 record.

“I’m very happy to be part of Bellator’s history,” Bilharinho told Sherdog.com. “It’s one of the pillars of the MMA world. Ever since I’ve been into fighting, Bellator has been there. It has a strong personality, from the name [to] the gloves—everything. I love it. I’m really, really happy to have my debut, and I’m hoping I can fight in the promotion a few more times. It will be an honor to have my own Bellator gloves at home.”

Landu poses a significant threat as a well-traveled 29-fight veteran. A Cyrille Diabte protege, the 37-year-old Frenchman enters their match on the heels of four consecutive victories. Landu last fought at Bellator 301, where he eked out a split decision over Isao Kobayashi across three rounds on Nov. 17. The Frenchman has not lost on home soil in almost 13 years.

“Landu is truly tough and experienced,” Bilharinho said. “He’s a southpaw striker. His style is somewhat similar to mine. He changes bases, strikes, moves backward, moves side to side and throws mostly single strikes. I’ve been studying his game, spotting similarities, differences and nuances. We’ve put together our strategy, with the aim of dominating the fight. We’ve been spotting where I may be at an advantage and where I may face more danger. The goal in my Bellator debut is not just a win but an impressive win. France is a country that didn’t have MMA until recently. I think it’s very cool that I have the opportunity to face a Frenchman in his own country, so we can put on a show.”

Bilharinho, a Team Nogueira product, now operates out of the Knockout Squad gym fronted by former Strikeforce champion Rafael Cavalcante. In addition to Cavalcante, he sharpens his skills under coaches Eduardo Simoes and Wilgner Silva.

“It’s a new team, about a year old,” Bilharinho said. “We have several hard-hitting training partners. I’m very prepared for this bout.”

A long-awaited opportunity to prove he belongs awaits the Brazilian, who posted back-to-back wins over Pedro Lopes and Caio Machado in his last two pre-Bellator appearances.

“I’m giving my best now, so I can improve my future,” Bilharinho said. “It’s something that’s different about me, compared to when I was 25. We change our future by changing our present.”