Danielle Kelly staying grounded despite world title victory: “My next match is probably going to be harder”

Newly crowned ONE atomweight submission grappling world champion Danielle Kelly is staying grounded, knowing that after her latest feat she has a bigger target on her back that she must be ready for.

She shared this in a recent interview with Chewjitsu Podcast, highlighting that moving forward it is only set to get tougher for her.

The 27-year-old Silver Fox BJJ standout said:

“I feel like right now I can't, like, celebrate too much because my next match is probably going to be harder so it's always going to be hard and I have to stay prepared for what’s next.”

Check out the interview below:

Philadelphia-born Danielle Kelly added her name to the list world title holders in ONE Championship after defeating rival Jessa Khan by unanimous decision in their marquee clash for the inaugural atomweight grappling world title at ONE Fight Night 14 on Prime Video on September 29 in Singapore. It was a realization of the goal she always had when she signed with the promotion last year.

The win did not come easy but she showed grit and determination in staying the course throughout and was aptly rewarded with the victory by the judges.

Apart from becoming world champion, the hard-earned victory also saw Kelly making up for the decision loss she absorbed from Cambodian-American Jessa Khan in their first encounter in 2021 in a no gi event outside of ONE in the United States.

In four fights to date in ONE Championship, Danielle Kelly has won three. She settled for a draw in her promotional debut in March last year against Japanese veteran Mei Yamaguchi.

There is no word yet on when she will defend her world title but she promises to be ready when that time comes.

The replay of ONE Fight Night 14 is available anytime on demand for Amazon Prime Video subscribers in the U.S. and Canada.