Danielle Kelly isn’t taking Jessa Khan lightly: “I really respect her”

Despite the back-and-forth between ONE Championship atomweight submission grappling phenom Danielle Kelly and her former adversary, 2023 IBJJF world champion Jessa Khan, the former says there’s no animosity in this matchup and that she has nothing but respect for her Cambodian-American counterpart.

Kelly and Khan will lock horns in the co-main event at ONE Fight Night 14: Stamp vs. Ham on Prime Video for the inaugural ONE women’s atomweight submission grappling world title. The event broadcasts live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore on Friday, September 29.

Appearing in an interview with MMA Mania, Kelly said she holds Khan in high regard, and even believes she’s the underdog heading into this match.

Kelly said:

“I mean, I really respect her. We've fought before. I think there’s a lot of doubt on my end. People think I either don't deserve it…it's weird, like they say I shouldn't go against Jessa Khan. You know, I'm the underdog and if I do beat her, there's no excuses. So it's weird people saying I shouldn't go against her.”

See the interview below:

Kelly is 3-0 in ONE Championship, with bouts against Mei Yamaguchi, Mariia Molchanova, and most recently Ayaka Miura. She won performance bonuses in her first two matches and has quickly become a fanfavorite in the promotion.

Meanwhile, Khan is making her ONE Championship debut.

Whoever wins this fight will earn the right to wear ONE Championship gold around her waist.

ONE Fight Night 14: Stamp vs. Ham on Prime Video also features a fantastic headline bout. In the main event, former ONE atomweight Muay Thai and kickboxing world champion Stamp Fairtex takes on No.2-ranked contender Ham Seo Hee for the ONE women's interim atomweight MMA world title.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action of ONE Fight Night 14: Stamp vs. Ham, live on September 29, absolutely free on Amazon Prime Video.