Lipski still has some time on her side, but it has proven to be a
longer path to potential UFC success than anticipated. After a
highly successful regional career, expectations were that Brazil’s
“Queen of Violence” would immediately slot in as a flyweight
contender, and she was matched accordingly with a pairing against
Joanne
Wood in her UFC debut. That proved to be too much too soon, and
after following that up with a decision loss to Molly
McCann, it clearly became apparent that Lipski was much more of
a work in progress. She has lived up to her nickname—Lipski’s
aggressive style has brought entertainment to every trip to the
Octagon—but that messy aggression, mostly held together by her
athleticism, has left open a ton of defensive holes. A September
2021 win over Mandy Bohm
was the first sign that Lipski might finally be turning a corner,
as she applied some patience and caution as part of a complete
performance. However, an August loss to Priscila
Cachoeira has seemingly left her back in the same spot. It was
a quick brawl, and Lipski quickly got knocked out for her troubles.
Lipski looks to figure things out against Aldrich, long one of the
more underrated fighters on the UFC roster. Aldrich came to the UFC
as a strawweight prospect in 2016, and the main concern was that
she would not have the athleticism to hang against better
competition. While she will probably never have the level of
athleticism to make a true run up to contender status, she has done
well to bulk up and prevent that from being a clear liability, even
before a 2019 move up to flyweight. Otherwise, Aldrich is about as
rock-solid a fighter as they come. She is still hunting for the
first finish in her UFC career, but Aldrich can put together 15
consistent minutes of action without making many mistakes, making
her a perennially tough test for everyone but the best athletes and
prospects in the division. Aldrich was quietly riding the second
three-fight winning streak of her UFC career heading into a bout
with Erin
Blanchfield in June; and she gave Blanchfield the toughest
fight of her UFC career to date, winning the fight until the
blue-chip prospect suddenly found a second-round submission. It was
more of a testament to Blanchfield’s talent than anything else.
This is an intriguing matchup in that Lipski is the level of
athlete that can give Aldrich trouble. With that said, it is up to
the Brazilian to show some career-best form to outmaneuver Aldrich;
otherwise, the American figures to slowly take over the fight and
possibly lock things down in a bit of a grind. The pick is Aldrich
via decision.
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