MMA Preview – Ariane Lipski vs Melissa Gatto at UFC on ESPN 48
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
ARIANE LIPSKI VS MELISSA GATTO FACTS
When is UFC on ESPN 48? Saturday 1st July, 2023 - 22:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC on ESPN 48? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC on ESPN 48? Click here to buy tickets for UFC Fight Night
What channel is UFC on ESPN 48 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC on ESPN 48? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
ARIANE LIPSKI VS MELISSA GATTO LOWDOWN
If only Ariane Lipski (15-8) was more consistent. She is a talented and exciting fighter but has struggled to get a streak going. After getting TKO’d by Antonina Shevchenko (2020) and Montana De La Rosa (2021), she handed Many Bohm (2021) her first loss but then got TKO’d again, this time by Priscila Cachoeira (2022). She returned in March with another unanimous decision which was over JJ Aldrich to take her UFC tally to 4-5.
Standing in her way is Melissa Gatto (8-1-2) who is coming off her first loss. In 2018, she submitted Karol Rosa at Nacao Cyborg 3. That earnt her a call-up to the big time, but we had to wait three years for her to make her debut. She served a ban for a failed drugs test in that time but made up for it by starting her UFC campaign with two knockouts over Victoria Leonardo (2021) and Sijara Eubanks (2021). She is now coming off a unanimous decision loss to Tracy Cortez (2022) which was over a year ago.
ARIANE LIPSKI VS MELISSA GATTO PREDICTION
This is a very exciting match-up as both fighters can finish the fight on the feet and on the ground. Lipski has very strong Muay Thai and is a better striker. She is also dangerous on the ground, but she will be playing with fire by going to the deck with Gatto.
Gatto can also bang but is a beast on the ground and she will waste no time in trying to drag Lipski to the ground. If she can pin Lipski on her back, she can easily find a finish. Lipski has been susceptible to being taken down and her last three losses have come via TKO which is a real worry.
That said, she looked very impressive against JJ Aldrich and the longer she can keep the fight on the feet, the better she will look. She holds all the value as the underdog but, Gatto is a very different match-up, and we are backing her grappling to get the job done.
Prediction: Gatto via Decision
Value bet: Lipski to win
