‘Not the post-fight picture I had in mind’: UFC’s Ariane Lipski shows off battle scars from punishing defeat to Montana De La Rosa

Things didn't go Ariane Lipski's way in the UFC's latest event in Las Vegas on Saturday night, but the stunning Brazilian MMA star certainly isn't letting defeat wipe the smile off her bloodstained face.

Lipski came up short in a quite literally bruising encounter with De La Rosa, after the Texan fighter found success in repeatedly taking Lipski to the mat before unleashing fierce barrages of elbows and punches which opened several streaking gashes on her face.

After some prolonged punishment, referee Keith Peterson stepped in to call off the fight with around 30 seconds left in the second round, handing 'The Queen of Violence' her second straight loss in the Octagon – and fourth in six overall fights with the UFC.

Lipski's defeat certainly wasn't due to a lack of trying, though, and she attempted early on to live up to her moniker by starting the bout at a furious pace and putting as much power as possible into each of her shots. 

The wily De La Rosa was, for the most part at least, able to avoid Lipski's heat-seeking strikes and instead looked for opportunities to drag the fight to the ground where her scything elbows could do their dirty work – one of which opened a deep cut on her opponent's face.

De La Rosa followed a similar blueprint in the second, eventually forcing her way into mount and unleashing the sequence of strikes that prompted Peterson to step in.

While De La Rosa was delighted with her win, Lipski didn't seem too downhearted in the wake of her latest loss, taking to social media to show off a series of grisly gashes and bruises on her face just minutes after the punishing encounter.

"For sure, that’s not the post-fight picture I had in mind but this is how life is: it is not only made of happy moments – the tough times happen so we can grow," Lipski wrote on Instagram.

"It’s not easy to return to the cage after being defeated and after a facial fracture, but I came back and did it stronger, both physically and psychologically. I was well prepared, focused and confident; however, I still wasn’t able to show my grappling evolution.

"I had the best training camp ever, I grew and evolved, I got more mature and after crying because of the disappointment and asking myself why my moment to shine hasn’t arrived yet, I remember James 1:2-6: 'Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.'

"I have chosen this profession and I embrace it, all its moments, good ones and the ones to be learned from.

"I’ll work and train harder, repeat, make mistakes and get it right. Then the victory will come."