Las Vegas, NV — The “Queen of Violence” is one step closer to ascending to her throne after Saturday’s UFC 296.
Ariane Lipski, a former KSW women’s flyweight champ, looked dominant against “King” Casey O’Neill in a battle of MMA royalty. Well, royalty-themed nicknames at least. The end result was a submission win over Casey, but Lipski lit her up on the feet ahead of the finish.
“I’m really happy with my performance tonight. Actually, I’m really happy with my performances this year,” Lipski (17-8) said following the win, speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press. “I think it was my best— I’m sure it was my best year in the UFC, three wins in a row in a year. And a win against Casey O’Neill, she’s a great fighter, and she’s already fought big names in the UFC.”
“I was definitely ready for a war, because I know she pushes hard. But I was definitely, I’m going to finish her, because I knew I could do that. I was expecting to win by KO, but I knew if I had the opportunity I could submit her.”
Lipski was sure to credit her team, noting how much her grappling had improved in the past year. “It’s not just by myself, it’s about the team.”
When it comes to her next steps, Lipski is looking at May for a possible return date. That will put her past the arrival of UFC 300, in any case. In terms of opponents, “it’s not just about rankings, it’s about fighting against opponents who have names in the UFC, and will bring me closer to my goal in the UFC. So that’s what I’m looking for next year. Good fights, [opponents with] good names in the UFC, and will put me on the top.”
Ariane Lipski also addressed the bumpy road she took to get to this point in her career, having gone 2-4 to start her UFC run.
“I had a really tough time at the beginning in the UFC, but I already had this kind of situation at the beginning of my career. At the beginning of my career, I was like three losses and two wins,” she told Cageside Press. “So I just keep on working, that’s who I am as a fighter. When I came to the UFC with a lot of high expectations, a lot of hype, I wasn’t ready. It wasn’t a good moment, and like you said I had more losses than wins in the UFC. So the only way that I find myself was to find a purpose for what I do. For what [do] I fight? Why [do] I do this?”
Lipski found that purpose through religion, and hasn’t looked back it seems. She also noted that she’s “lucky because I have followers and fans that really support me. I had really tough moments in the UFC, and they were always there supporting me, because they like my style, they like the way I fight. They see truth in what I do. And I feel really blessed because of that. I feel I have the real ones.”
Watch the full UFC 296 post-fight press conference with women’s flyweight Ariane Lipski above.
