Ariane Lipski da Silva approaches PFL Pittsburgh debut at peace with the past
· Yahoo Sports
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.”
A high-stakes middleweight clash headlines PFL Pittsburgh: Tune in LIVE, Saturday, March 28 at 10 p.m. ET.
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.”
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