Ariane Lipski will face Diana Belbita for the vacant KSW women’s flyweight championship on May 27 in Poland, and that’s another step towards her ultimate goal.
Lipski (8-3) is riding a six-fight winning streak with five knockout finishes, capped off by a quick stoppage over UFC veteran Sheila Gaff in October. Close to fighting for her first championship belt in MMA, the 23-year-old Brazilian targets the top of the 125-pound division.
"It’s not my dream to go to the UFC, my dream is to become the best in the world,” Lipski told MMA Fighting. "The UFC is the biggest promotion, and we want to go to the UFC to show I’m the best, not because I have this dream to sign with them. When the opportunity comes, I’ll go there and do my job, but it’s not my dream to enter the UFC at any cost.”
The UFC will finally open the women’s flyweight division later this year, and both UFC female champions Amanda Nunes and Joanna Jedrzejczyk are looking to add a second belt to their careers.
Competing at 125 pounds since her MMA debut in Nov. 2013, Lipski admits she’s still young in the sport, but has enough confidence to say she can beat both Nunes and Jedrzejczyk if given a chance.
"I think I need to get more experience as an athlete, but I think that if I’m well trained… What I really want to become is the best in the world, so I have to fight them all,” Lipski said. "Whoever comes, I’ll do my best, get ready, and always believe I can defeat anyone.”
With most of her wins coming by way of knockout, Lipski would go a different direction against a fellow striker like Jedrzejczyk.
"I want to be a complete athlete,” Lipski said. "I’m a fan of Joanna for the way she imposes her fighting style and wins, but I want to be a complete athlete. Maybe, if I fought her, I could win because I’m more complete. I’d take her down and keep her there. And standing, I think I have more power as well.
"Amanda is a good striker, but she’s a more complete MMA fighter (than Jedrzejczyk). But I think I’m more technical than her. I kick a lot. Well prepared, I’d do a camp to defeat her."
And even if she’s competing outside the Octagon, Lipski believes UFC’s decision to open the division later this year will help female fighters around the world.
"Many girls in the UFC will now go to their original weight class, and it will only benefit us,” Lipski said. "Everybody will start to pay attention to the flyweights around the world now."
Lipski’s next step towards becoming the No. 1 flyweight in the world is Saturday, when she faces Belbita in Warsaw, Poland. Belbita (8-2) defeated Katarzyna Lubonska in her KSW debut in October, and Lipski expects an exciting striking battle.
"She’s also a striker, has some professional kickboxing bouts in her resume, so it has everything to be a great fight standing,” the Brazilian said. "She’s afraid to go to the ground as well, and I’m ready for everything. Wherever the fight goes, I’m sure it will be good.
"I might win by knockout, submission, but I’m sure that the win will come.”