Ariane Lipski Always Up for a Challenge

Ariane Lipski never backs down—a trait on which she prides herself.

“It’s been 10 years since I’ve been fighting as a professional,” she told Sherdog.com. “I’m very proud of the fact that I’ve always accepted fights against experienced opponents throughout my career. Most of them came from top gyms and still fight in major promotions. I’m also happy that I’m always ready to fight and put on a good show. Even when fights didn’t go my way, I’ve always been able to show I was ready for the challenge.”

The former KSW champion will look to climb another rung on the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s flyweight ladder and perhaps crack the promotion’s Top 15 rankings for the first time when she confronts Casey O'Neill as part of the UFC 296 undercard this Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Lipski enters the cage on the strength of back-to-back victories over J.J. Aldrich and Melissa Gatto.

“Rankings are a bit confusing,” she said. “Other fighters with common opponents have made it in the rankings, but I haven’t yet. The most important thing for me is to be facing someone with a good name, which should propel me closer to a title challenge. I see Casey as that type of opportunity.”

O’Neill, 26, steps back into the spotlight on the heels of her first professional setback: a unanimous decision defeat to former Invicta Fighting Championships titleholder Jennifer Maia at UFC 286 in March. The Xtreme Couture rep started her career 9-0—a run that included UFC victories over Shana Dobson, Lara Procopio, Antonina Shevchenko and Roxanne Modafferi.

“She’s excellent,” Lipski said. “She’s recognized. I feel I can have a good fight against her, so I can climb closer to my objective in the UFC. Casey has a very good record despite having a brief career so far. I’ll bring my years of experience against her. We’ll see how she behaves coming off her first loss. I’ve gone through ups and downs. I know that I came back better. “Casey’s strong points are in all areas: striking, takedowns and jiu-jitsu, but she’s not a specialist,” she added. “That’s what I’ll take advantage of. I’ll keep the fight in my comfort zone while exploiting the holes we see in her game.”

Lipski carries full confidence in her pre-fight preparation.

“I’m disciplined, and I’m surrounded by the right team,” she said. “They’re always working in the background, making sure I’m always prepared. Since the start, I’ve had access to weight training, physical therapy, private training and so on. It’s not something that people see.”

As she approaches her 30th birthday, Lipski views herself as a potential trailblazer.

“My plans for the future remain the same,” she said. “I work to be the best fighter and person I can be—every day. If that results in becoming the best fighter in my weight class, I’ll be even happier. I also wish to open doors for the new generation of Brazilian fighters.”