UFC 255- Ariane Lipski vs Antonina Shevchenko: Prediction and Analysis

The second fight on the prelim card will feature the elder Shevchenko sister as she takes on Ariane Lipski in a woman’s flyweight bout. This is the first time that the two Shevchenko sisters are fighting on the same card. 

 Antonina is currently ranked #15 in the women’s flyweight division. Lipski on the other hand is unranked.  A win over ‘Pantera’ will be an excellent opportunity for Lipski to move up into the top 15 of the women’s Flyweight division. However, it will not be easy given that Shevchenko is one of the most talented fighters in the division.

Read: UFC 255- Figueiredo vs Perez: Early prelims: prediction and analysis 

Antonina Shevchenko vs Ariane Lipski for Flyweight supremacy 

Antonina made her UFC debut on Dana White’s Contender Series with a stoppage win over Jaimelene Nievera. She followed that up with another win over Ji Yeon Kim. ‘Pantera’ is currently 1-2 in her last three fights.  Most recently, she lost a unanimous decision bout against Katlyn Chookagian in May 2020.  She will be hoping to bounce back into the win column this Saturday. 

‘Queen Of Violence’ made her debut in January 2019 with a unanimous decision loss against Joanne Calderwood. She lost her second fight in the UFC against Molly McCann in June 2019. Lipski then bounced back impressively with two successive wins over Isabel De Padua and Luana Carolina.  She will be hoping to extend her winning streak to 3-0 and against Shevchenko.

Antonina has secured 63% of her victories via decision. Like her sister, ‘Pantera’ is an excellent striker and prefers to keep the fight on the feet. In her UFC career, she has landed an impressive 3.33 significant strikes per minute and absorbs just 3.1 in return.

 

Lipski on the other hand has secured 55% of her UFC victories via T/KO. She has landed an impressive 3.53 significant strikes per minute. However, she has absorbed a concerning 5.67 significant strikes per minute. This will be problematic against a striker as precise as ‘Pantera’ 

The fight will most likely stay on the feet and given recent performances and form, Lipski should be able to extend the streak to 3-0 in the UFC with a win over Antonina Shevchenko. 

Prediction: Ariane Lipski via Decision.