Back once again with the renegade master! Well, I told you guys I would be more frequent this time around. I bet you didn't expect 3 articles within a week, now did you?
Since my last article was about Jose Aldo's injury and how it affects his bout at UFC 189, I tried my luck and contacted the man imitating Conor McGregor for Jose Aldo, Jonas Bilharinho.
I'm extremely proud for making this happen since I became a fan of Jonas after seeing his shadowboxing video with Jose Aldo. For all of you who don't know, Jonas is 6-0 in his MMA career and is Jungle Fight's Bantamweight and Featherweight champion. He was brought in to Jose Aldo's camp to mimic Conor McGregor's fighting style. We talked about a lot of stuff, including; his future in MMA, Jose Aldo, his pick for todays' Yoel Romero/Lyoto Machida fight and a bunch more. Check it out.
When did you start training MMA?
I've been training martial arts since I was 3 or 4 years old. But, I started doing MMA when I was 16 or 17 with Alex Gazé from Team Nogueira.
When did you get your nickname, "Speed"?
I like nicknames that mean something about the athlete. I got this nickname because I was asking all my folks on Team Nogueira which is the most remarkable ability of mine. And everyone spoke about my speed.
You mentioned in an interview that you have a background in tae kwon doe and karate. Did it help your transitioning to MMA with already having backgrounds in those two?
I prefer muay thai and boxing strikes, because those are harder and more powerful. But when I´m talking about movement, karate and tae kwon do for sure are better for measuring the distance.
Lyoto Machida is probably the most famous karateka in MMA, how do you think his fight against Yoel Romero will go?
I know that Lyoto Machida has one of the best notions of distance in MMA. So Yoel Romero will probably have a problem fighting him and Lyoto will end up knocking him out in the second round. That's my opinion.
Not only does he fight like Conor McGregor, he also sports a haircut similar to the Irishan.
What made you pick Team Nogueira over other MMA teams?
I started in Team Nogueira with Alex Gazé and master Luiz Alves. I was training muay thai as an amateur. With the time passing I was improving my abilities and people started to recognize me. Then one day came an invitation to be a professional athlete. I was substituting a guy on a spar on a Saturday and after that I saw Alex Gazé and Anderson Silva chatting about my abilities. When I received the invite it was one of the most emotional moments in my life.
Where you a fan of "Minotauro" and "Minotouro" (Nogueira brothers) when you where growing up?
Sure. Minotauro and Minotouro are source of inspiration for the entire team. I've loved them since they were Pride fighters.
Who are your favorite fighters in the UFC or generally in MMA?
There are 3 fighters that I like. I like Anderson Spider Silva, of course. My entire game [fighting style] is based on his game. I like José Aldo Júnior, he's one of the biggest stars in Brazil. This guy is a monster. I love to watch his fights. Also, I like Luke Rockhold. Very complete fighter. He can wrestle, strike and submit guys. Those 3 are the athletes I like the most now.
Your last fight was in April, do you have any news regarding your next fight?
I think I have nothing more to do in Brazil. I got two belts in one of the greatest organizations which is Jungle Fight. So I´m waiting UFC to call. I already rejected a Bellator offer. It's all about Dana White. As soon as he calls me, I will be among the greatest.
You have 6 wins, with 4 ko/tko finishes. Do you think we'll get too see more of your grappling skills in the future?
I don´t like to see myself as a striker. I try to be a complete fighter as much as I can. Here in Brazil, people are usually better in the ground game, so I try to strike them out. In the US I will do whatever I can to win the fight. If my opponent is a grappler I will strike him out. If he's a striker, I will try to submit him. I will always take the fight wherever I feel comfortable.
What was it like training with Jose Aldo?
It's a great experience. Of course, I´m a huge fan of him. Training with a guy who inspires me is a dream come true.
You mentioned that you talked trash to Aldo when you trained with him to mimic Conor. Is it true you also screamed at Jose like Conor does?
That's true. I always scream at Aldo and talk trash to him. We try to prepare him the best we can both mentally and physically, for Conor McGregor. We know this fight is gonna be tough. Jose is gonna be prepared.
Do you think Jose's injury will affect his performance in his fight against Conor?
I don´t know... An injured rib... I wouldn´t fight if I was in his shoes. I wouldn´t. An injured rib can disturb a lot during the fight. I don´t know what Aldo will decide.
On the same night as Jose faces Conor, Robbie Lawler defends his welterweight title against Rory MacDonald. Are you a fan of either fighter and who do you think will win?
I love seeing both guys fight. Both are strikers and go for the finish. Based on the first fight, I will go with Robbie Lawler. But as a professional athlete, I know that you can always improve yourself. I can´t predict who will win, but I know it will be a good fight to watch.
What are your thoughts on the UFC's Reebok sponsorship deal? A lot of fighters, including Jose Aldo are very unhappy with it.
I don´t know, it´s probably for the best, thinking in long term. I know a lot of fighters are complaining about it, including José, but I don´t know what to think.
Do you think you will ever face off against Jose in the octagon?
I don´t know. If I can choose, I'd prefer not to face him in the octagon. It´s a fight that wouldn't make me happy. Of course, I wouldn´t want to lose, but at the same time I wouldn't like to win. If I could choose, José moves up to 155 and I will be the future champion at 145.
Jonas' last fight that made him a two division Jungle Fight champion
A big thank you to Jonas for taking his time to answer my questions. I hope to see him in the UFC soon. Also, a quick shout out to his manager for being cool with me interviewing Jonas and replying to me in a short notice. Now go and like Jonas on Facebook. and while you're at it. Drop by my fan page and give me a like. That's all from me folks, talk too you all soon.
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