Danielle Kelly calls for world title shot against a fellow ‘jiu-jitsu person’ in ONE Championship

Danielle Kelly has made it clear that she would like to face a fellow ‘jiu-jitsu person’ when she fights for the world title.

The decision to face a life-long jiu-jitsu stylist stems from Danielle Kelly’s last three opponents at ONE Championship. She previously faced MMA veteran and jiu-jitsu practitioner Mei Yamaguchi back in March, a multi-time world sambo champion in Mariia Molchanova last November, and more recently MMA veteran and judo black belt 'Zombie’ Ayaka Miura on February 24.

All three rivals presented a whole set of different challenges for the American grappler, however, Kelly would like to fight someone on her own terms, after all, she’s earned it. In her post-fight interview, the Philadelphia native stipulated:

“If I'm going to go for the title, I want it to be my weight class. I already had three matches in ONE Championship, and I would like to see whoever I'm competing against. I don't know if they ever competed in ONE Championship or, if it's a jiu-jitsu person especially, I'd like to see them compete once or twice, just to have the experience, and we compete for the title.”

Watch the interview below:

At ONE Championship, the current landscape for women’s jiu-jitsu is still in its developmental stages. In the atomweight category, only a handful of jiu-jitsu practitioners have been signed under the promotion, including BJJ black belt Jessa Khan and multi-time IBJJF world champion ‘Tubby’ Amanda Alequin.

As the list gets more and more competitive, Kelly understands that it’s only a matter of time before she gets a shot at the world title. With her male coutnerparts already holding world titles in submission grappling, the Philadelphia athlete is more anxious than ever to get her chance at gold.

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Danielle Kelly says grappling at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium felt “old school”

Despite not getting a submission like she wanted, Danielle Kelly is nevertheless grateful to have had the opportunity to make jiu-jitsu history inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok.

Kelly’s match against Ayaka Miura at ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video was a thrilling back-and-forth battle that kept the fans on the edge of their seats. Both athletes had their chances, but it was Kelly who got the nod in the judges’ scorecards by unanimous decision.

Even though Kelly aimed for an early submission, especially in such a historic stadium as Lumpinee, the American grappler is just grateful to have had the opportunity to bring women’s jiu-jitsu to the forefront.

In her post-event interview with The MMA Superfan, Danielle Kelly said:

“It was a great experience, it’s my first time here in Thailand and my first time comepteing in a ring, especially like for jiu-jitsu. Yeah, It was really new, I wanted the experience, it felt really old school. I’m really grateful to compete in something so historic and really popular, and get to showcase jiu-jitsu and being the first women’s jiu-jitsu match.”