As she prepares to face Cong Wang at UFC 316 on Saturday in Newark, Ariane Lipski da Silva reflected on the winding road that has brought her to the world’s top MMA organization. The 31-year-old “Queen” spoke to Sherdog, naming the heroes who inspired her to become a professional fighter and openly discussing the growing pains she experienced upon turning pro, and again after joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship as a former champ from another major promotion.
“I’ve been fighting MMA professionally for [over] 11 years,” she said. “I got started at 19 years old.