Outside Source
A high-stakes middleweight clash headlines PFL Pittsburgh: Tune in LIVE, Saturday, March 28 at 10 p.m. ET.
Sumiko Inaba already tested herself against the best the Professional Fighters League women’s flyweight division has to offer, and she hopes to learn from those lessons.
Advertisement
Inaba will welcome Ultimate Fighting Championship castoff Ariane Lipski da Silva to the promotion when they collide in a featured PFL Pittsburgh attraction on Saturday at the UPMC Events Center. Armed with a Top 5 ranking at 125 pounds, she plans to break through to the top of the weight class. Inaba last appeared at PFL Champions Series 2, where she dropped a three-round unanimous decision to budding superstar Dakota Ditcheva on July 19. Though she fell short in her bid to upset the undefeated American Top Team export, the insight the bout provided was invaluable.
“It was an amazing experience to fight someone at that level, to test myself at that level. I couldn’t be more proud to have done that,” Inaba told Sherdog.com. “No matter how the fight was going, I just wanted to prove that I could stick in there for the whole 15 minutes and still try to come up with something. She is who she is, and she did a great job, too. I felt I didn’t really get to implement any kind of game plan with that. Dakota’s just very good at what she does. My game plan kind of went out the window with that one. Being in a cage with someone [like Ditcheva], I have to give myself that respect. I don’t sometimes see myself at that level, but it’s a reality check for me and I have to believe in that. I’m carrying that confidence into this [next] fight.”
Inaba now turns her attention to Lipski da Silva, a former Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki champion for whom she has a great deal of respect.
“She’s a great opponent, a UFC vet,” Inaba said. “It’s such a great name for me to go up against and get a win over. I think styles make fights, and it’s going to be great. She likes to stand, and I’ve also seen her win by submission. She has it all. She mixes it all up. It’s going to be a good challenge for me to use all my tools, as well. I’m going to be able to show that I’ve trained very hard for this one, and I’m excited it’s in Pittsburgh. My last fight in South Africa was craziness. Getting there was craziness. We had some hiccups travel-wise, losing my bags. It was a whole ordeal, so just to be back in the [United] States, I’m excited for that.”
‘Crazy to see my name in the Top 5’
Plenty of intrigue still surrounds Inaba. With the PFL’s new rankings system in place and a move away from the tournament format, she believes the company will continue to establish itself as a power in the MMA marketplace.
“Just being with PFL has been a great experience,” Inaba said. “It was a different thing at first, but now I feel like things are finding a rhythm towards a better direction. The rankings were a bit of a reality check, as well. At first, I didn’t believe it, but it’s crazy to see my name in the Top 5 position. I can’t wait to show everybody why I have that position. It’s a great test for me getting to fight someone who has been through this sport and put themselves in this position. It’s a big position for both of us. I’m so ready for this fight.”
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
Help support MMACrazies.com when you shop Amazon by starting your online Amazon shopping at MMACrazies.com/recommends/amazon. You are not charged extra, but we receive a small and very helpful commission on everything you purchase. Thanks for thinking of us every time you shop at Amazon.
