Preview: UFC Fight Night 172 ‘Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2’

Women’s Flyweights

Ariane Lipski (12-5) vs. Luana Carolina (6-1)

ODDS: Lipski (-130), Carolina (+110)

The UFC’s 2019 schedule saw a lot of breakout years from a lot of fighters, but Lipski’s campaign was one of the bigger disappointments. A Brazilian of Polish heritage, “The Violence Queen” put together a strong resume in both countries and looked set to make an impact in the UFC’s fledgling women’s flyweight division. The UFC apparently agreed, putting Lipski right into the mix against Joanne Calderwood for her promotional debut, which definitely proved to be a case of too much too soon. Lipski has certainly wanted to bring the violence, but she has had trouble adjusting to opponents who were more willing to stick to game plans or take advantage of her suspect defense. She could not get inside on Calderwood while they were on the feet, and Molly McCann managed to pick her apart and score takedowns seemingly at will. Even Lipski’s lone UFC win over Isabela de Padua was way more difficult than it needed to be. A natural strawweight, de Padua took the fight on a day’s notice and managed to get Lipski to the mat, where she took advantage of her willingness to hunt for submissions rather than control the fight. Still, this should be a fun, winnable fight for Lipski against Carolina, who has not done much to stand out in her own right. Carolina is a physical talent and appears to have some solid kickboxing technique, but things tend to devolve quickly as soon as her opponent offers any sort of resistance. She was able to tee off on the defense-free Priscila Cachoeira, but she looked uncomfortable the whole time despite the one-sided win. Lipski can stay aggressive and has some actual skill, and that alone should be enough to get it done here. The pick is Lipski via decision.

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