Ariane da Silva sets her sights on dominating Formula 1's toughest test!

Ariane da Silva still has plenty left to give the world of MMA. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Cooper Neill via Getty Images Ariane da Silva has been at the forefront of the women's flyweight division long enough to know her way around. What is now arguably the best division in women's MMA used to be a premier weight class, thanks to its global talent spread.

Long known as "The Queen of Violence," da Silva — formerly known as Ariane Lipski — has been there for it all. But her expectations on the grandest stage never reached the dream-like finish line. Once one of the best flyweights on Earth, the now 32-year-old da Silva made her UFC debut at the start of 2019.

In Sherdog's global rankings , the Brazilian knockout artist was the No. 3-ranked 125-pound fighter behind only UFC champion Valentina Shevchenko and Bellator champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane. Da Silva occupied her slot on the list with an unmatched highlight reel and a KSW championship résumé.

She was already accustomed to the big stages, having won her title in front of a whopping 57,776 fans in Poland — the sixth largest MMA audience ever. Seven years after da Silva expected to dominate the UFC, she's found her way to the PFL cage, where she'll debut against Sumiko Inaba at PFL Pittsburgh on March 28. The decision to continue, however didn't come without some soul-searching.