Danielle Kelly accepts underdog role in world title match against Jessa Khan

The underdog rivalry story between Danielle Kelly and Jessa Khan for the inaugural ONE atomweight submission grappling world title has every fan on the edge of their seats.

Philadelphia-born grappler Danielle Kelly rushes to the ONE stage this Friday to avenge a decision loss to former foe, Jessa Khan at ONE Friday Fight 14. As such, she’s regarded by many as the underdog in this rematch despite the high level of success she’s achieved under the promotion.

So far, Kelly doesn’t seem bothered by this assessment. Instead, she’ll use her underdog story as fuel for her victory come Friday night.

Speaking at the OFN14 Virtual Press Conference, she confidently stated:

“I wouldn’t doubt that I’m the underdog, but you know, it was in the past. It was almost two years ago, and people improve, so I’m just looking forward to putting on an exciting match and show what I’ve improved.”

Danielle Kelly became an overnight sensation after just one submission grappling match in the octagon. Her debut performance against grappling expert and MMA legend Mei Yamaguchi in March 2022, immediately sent BJJ fans into a frenzy, even though the match ended in a draw.

Knowing what we know today if the same rules for submission grappling were applied back then, Kelly would have added another victory on her record.

And despite not being an IBJJF world champion like her adversary, Kelly has fought against some of the most avoided grapplers in ONE Championship and abroad to great effect.

Notable names include IBJJF No-Gi world champion Sofia Amarante, Sambo world champion Mariia Molchanova, and MMA superstar Ayaka Miura.

And yet, we still haven’t seen the best out of Danielle Kelly. If she can put everything she’s learned together, Kelly’s jiu-jitsu will be unstoppable.

Kelly vs. Khan II at ONE Friday Fights 14 will go down on Friday, September 29 at 8:00 pm EDT via Amazon Prime Video.