“It would just make people take me seriously” - Danielle Kelly says a ONE world title could elevate her career

BJJ rising star Danielle Kelly wants to be taken seriously as an elite jiu jitsu practitioner. One way to elevate her career would be to win a world title.

Kelly has been a tour de force since she began competing for ONE Championship in March. She showcased her talent against Japanese icon Mei Yamaguchi, which sparked world-wide attention. However, the Philadelphia native feels her talents are still being seriously underestimated.

Waiting for the opportunity to fight for a world title in jiu-jitsu, Kelly believes adding a belt to her name can make a whole lot of difference:

Danielle Kelly told SCMP MMA:

“It would mean a lot. I think it would probably put a stamp on like, how serious I am as a competitor. I mean, you know, probably like make people not look at me or view me as someone who is a not-so legit, serious person or grappler. I mean, even, lik,e a former UFC champion said that I'm not... a legit grappler. It's like, I don't know if that was, like, a thing or not. So all that to the side, I think it would just make people take me seriously, and a belt under ONE will be the biggest accomplishment for jiu-jitsu for my division.”

Danielle Kelly has every reason to feel anxious about making her mark on ONE Championship. With her last bout ending in a draw with Yamaguchi and a doctor’s stoppage win over Carla Esparza in 2021, she hasn’t had luck yet in scoring a submission finish.

As soon as ONE is finished building a strong women’s division in submission grappling, the 26 year-old phenom may have the opportunity to butt heads with elite practitioners of her caliber — perhaps in a Grand Prix tournament or a vacant world title. However, only time will tell.

Listen to her full interview with SCMP below:

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Danielle Kelly felt nervous fighting inside the ring at her ONE debut

Accustomed to open mats, Danielly Kelly said that she felt nervous fighting inside the circle for the first time in March. However, she took some valuable lessons away from the experience, which she believes can help her in her next bout.

She told The Jiu-Jitsu Times:

“I was a little nervous at first, because that was my first ever match where I was grappling in a cage. In previous matches, or tournaments, there were no cages, no rings or anything. So it’s made me work a lot now on technique that [involves] a cage. So I’ve been working on that, and also just my finishing mechanics – because I want to go for a submissionnand not waste a lot of energy or time during the match."