Ariane
Lipski da Silva’s long tenure in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship did not end as she had hoped,
but it certainly did not prevent her from pursuing opportunities
elsewhere.
The former
Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki champion will make her
Professional Fighters League debut when she meets Sumiko
Inaba in a
PFL Pittsburgh women’s flyweight feature on Saturday at the
UPMC Events Center. Lipski da Silva enters the cage on a
three-fight losing streak. She closed out her UFC run with a 6-8
record but sounds like a woman with few regrets.
“I stayed busy, always accepting every challenge, believing I could
reach a higher spot in the UFC,” Lipski da Silva told Sherdog.com.
“I always gave my best, despite any physical or mental challenges.
I made it a point not to turn down any opponents and to always be
fighting. My team and I always gave everything. Looking back, half
of my career was in the UFC. I managed to make it to the Top 12
position. I’ve learned many lessons and gained valuable experience,
which will help me face my next challenges.”
Inaba stands as the Brazilian’s first test in the PFL. “Lady
Samurai” last fought at PFL Champions Series 2, where she dropped a
unanimous decision to unbeaten promotional cornerstone Dakota
Ditcheva on July 19. Inaba, 35, has never been finished in 10
bouts as a pro.
“She has a lot of grit, a lot of heart, but I believe that I’m much
more experienced, stronger and have better technique,” Lipski da
Silva said. “The fans should enjoy a very active fight. I know that
she’s tough, and that Ditcheva broke her hand and was still unable
to knock Sumiko out.”
Lipski da Silva has not competed since she wound up on the wrong
side of a unanimous verdict against Cong Wang at
UFC 316 nearly a year ago. Wang outstruck her by a 147-65 margin in
the 15-minute affair. Da Silva checked in at six pounds overweight
for the match.
“I had a problem with my weight,” she said. “During my camp, I
learned that I had a prolactinoma, which is a benign pituitary
tumor. I had an MRI to identify the issue. I decided to see a
specialist after my fight camp since my doctor said I could still
fight. We focused on my recovery during training camp in an attempt
to keep my cortisol levels low. Unfortunately, weight cuts are
always very stressful. Instead of leaving the weight cut
responsibility to my coach [and husband], Renato
Silva, we entrusted a specialist to guide us through it, but
there was a miscalculation and too much weight had to be lost at
the very end. I stopped sweating and started having dehydration
symptoms. We spoke to the UFC medical staff and discussed it.
“I’m very thankful that my opponent understood,” Lipski da Silva
added. “During the fight, she took me out of my game early on via
calf strikes. I was forced to switch stances, but I still fought
with all my heart. I couldn’t fight as well as I’d wished, and
unfortunately, the UFC cut me after that. Every fight had its
lesson.”
Passion rediscovered
Lipski da Silva, who turned 32 in January, took advantage of her
time off.
“This period without a fight has been very good for me,” she said.
“I took the time to take care of my health with medical
specialists. At first, I wasn’t sure if I should continue fighting,
but I kept training and I noticed that without a specific opponent
in mind, I learned to love it again. I found renewed joy in the
discipline of martial arts and competition. That’s when the
opportunity in the PFL came about. I trained well, with a good
rhythm, without forcing anything. I was able to renew myself and
put emphasis on my grappling, which is something I never had the
time for in the UFC. I look forward to seeing how I’ve
evolved.”
Lipski da Silva believes she can make serious waves in the PFL.
“Since the PFL now has fixed weight classes with rankings instead
of simply running tournaments, I can see my path to the belt,” she
said, “but my focus right now is on having a great debut. Then
we’ll take it one step at a time.”