3 reasons why Tammi Musumeci could beat Danielle Kelly in a potential showdown

ONE rising star Tammi Musumeci lived up to the family name at ONE Fight Night 8: Superlek vs. Williams on Prime Video at the Singapore Indoor Stadium last weekend.

The 28-year-old BJJ savant, who is the older sister of ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion Mikey Musumeci, emerged victorious against Bianca Basilio.

The sky is certainly the limit for the talented American following her gutsy performance in her circle debut.

In fact, both fans and pundits alike are already clamoring for a match between her and ONE submission grappling superstar Danielle Kelly. A Musumeci vs. Kelly superfight, after all, seems like the perfect way to introduce the inaugural women’s atomweight submission grappling world title.

Kelly does seem to have the edge in experience after competing thrice already inside the circle. Then again, Musumeci does have the tools to hand the Silver Fox BJJ standout her first taste of defeat under the ONE banner.

Let’s take a look at three reasons why Tammi Musumeci can beat Danielle Kelly if they ever cross paths.

---

#3. Tammi Musumeci is a natural strawweight

One glance at Tammi Musumeci and you can see why she’s considered a grappling powerhouse.

Apart from her prodigious BJJ techniques, Musumeci is a physical specimen who uses her broad shoulders and well-developed arms to bully her opponents into submission.

The Pedigo Submission Fighting product went head-to-head with Bianca Basilio and took home a well-deserved unanimous decision win in their match at 125 pounds.

In her post-fight interview, Musumeci bared her desire to win world titles at atomweight and strawweight:

“I’m just very thankful to be here but my goal is to eventually compete for the 115-pound and 125-pound belts.”

Moreover, the self-confessed sweet tooth said she can easily make the atomweight limit once she cleans up her diet.

Meanwhile, we’ve seen Kelly struggle against the bigger Ayaka Miura in their catchweight bout last February. While the 27-year-old ultimately got her hand raised, the Japanese grappler’s brute strength and physicality almost cost her the match.

Musumeci, of course, sports an even larger frame and should be visibly bigger than Kelly once she rehydrates after her cut to 115 pounds.

---

#2. Tammi Musumeci is a submission hunter of the highest order

What makes Tammi Musumeci a perfect fit for ONE Championship’s burgeoning submission grappling scene is her desire to finish her opponents at all costs.

The five-time BJJ world champion has a staggering 40 submissions in 76 career victories.

In her ONE Fight Night 8 pre-event interview, Musumeci shared that she was never much of a point fighter during her storied career on the BJJ circuit:

“I’m just going out there and trying to hit cool stuff and try to hit cool subs. I’m not really focused so much on titles or any of that stuff.”

Musumeci, who works as an attorney when not fighting, is certainly eager to show her killer instinct in her next fight after going the distance with Basilio.

The American does have every submission in the book and will look to tap out Kelly in a potential showdown.

Kelly, on the other hand, managed to beat formidable opponents like Mariia Molchanova and Ayaka Miura. She also had a dominating performance against Mei Yamaguchi in their match at ONE X that resulted in a draw.

Still, none of those opponents comes close to Musumeci’s prolific jiu-jitsu background.

---

#1. Tammi Musumeci has already defeated Danielle Kelly before

Tammi Musumeci has already bested Danielle Kelly before, and she has no problems doing it again in front of a global audience.

The pair of grappling arts phenoms first squared off under the Who’s Number One (WNO) banner in 2021.

Musumeci came out aggressive from the get-go and passed Kelly’s guard with relative ease. After securing one of Kelly’s arms from side control, Musumeci brilliantly transitioned to north-south and latched onto a far-side armbar.

Kelly used her flexibility to defend for a short while, but Musumeci wisely pivoted and put pressure on her shoulder, finishing her off with an armlock in under two minutes.

While both fighters have evolved since then, Tammi Musumeci is confident she can reassert her dominance over Kelly if ONE decides to book the match.

She told SCMP MMA in an interview:

“I fought Danielle Kelly a year ago, and I heard she wants to fight me, so I’d be down for that. I could definitely make 115lbs. I’ve made 115lbs in jiu-jitsu, and that’s where you literally weigh in and then you fight right after.”