LAS VEGAS – Ariane Lipski he guaranteed that if he were to enter the octagon with Karine Silva, it would be in the best possible conditions.
Before being booked in a women’s flyweight bout on Saturday at UFC on ESPN 55 at UFC Apex (ESPN, ESPN+), Lipski (17-8 MMA, 6-5 UFC) said he was offered a last-minute fight with Silva (17-4 MMA, 3-0 UFC) at UFC 299 in March. However, she chose to refuse.
“They offered me to fight her at 299 because she was supposed to fight Lauren Murphy,” Lipski told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “Then Lauren Murphy got hurt in the fight and I said, ‘I can fight her, but I can’t fight on that date.’ Because I was in Brazil and I had a family and business to take care of and I wasn’t training, I was just fighting. I said, ‘I can fight anyone, I just need a full training camp.’ They rescheduled the fight for this Saturday.
“It’s not the fight I expected after my last performance. I was waiting for someone from above, but I know that all the fighters are scheduled and I’m here to fight. I always say yes to the UFC. We have the fight and I’m ready.”
Although Lipski, an honorable mention in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie women’s flyweight ranking, didn’t expect to face Silva next, she understands why the confrontation happened. Silva began her promotional tenure as the only woman to record three consecutive first-round submission wins, quickly gaining a lot of hype.
Lipski, 30, has never been submitted in MMA competition and thinks all of her fights in KSW and UFC will be a big factor in the outcome.
“She’s young, I think what’s going to make the difference in this fight is my experience,” said Lipski. “Not just in the UFC, but in my entire experience as an MMA fighter.”
If Lipski can raise her hand this weekend, she will have a four-fight winning streak in the 125-pound division. She thinks this will be enough to land a signature fight that would take her career to the next level.
“It’s time to show that I’m ready to go to the top,” Lipski said. “I did this camp focused on having the best performance of all time in the UFC to show that I am ready to reach the top. We definitely have plans.”
For more information on the card, visit the MMA Junkie events hub to UFC on ESPN 55.
