"I'm wondering how Mei's going to use the cage" – Bruno Pucci explains why Mei Yamaguchi has the edge against BJJ Star Danielle Kelly in ONE X grappling match

Mei Yamaguchi is set to welcome Danielle Kelly to ONE Championship at ONE X on March 26 in a submission grappling match.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Bruno Pucci, whose wife, Angela Lee, has already faced Yamaguchi twice before, offered his thoughts on why he the Japanese veteran may have a good shot at winning the contest.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Pucci said:

“What I know about Mei is that she's a black belt as well. The other girl, I think she's more in the No-Gi scene. The match is most likely going to be a No-Gi. But I think Mei is more of an expert on using the cage. So maybe it can go in Mei's favor because it's a cage match. So, I'm kind of curious to see how that is going to play out.”

Mei Yamaguchi has over a decade of experience in MMA, which Pucci believes she can use to her advantage in a grappling match inside the Circle.

“If you consider the very first match between Shinya and Garry Tonon, Garry ends up winning the fight, but I know Shinya was using the cage well at the beginning of the grappling match. And, you know, so that's what I want to see in this match. I feel that Mei's opponent knows No-Gi and she has been fighting like the UFC girls as well. And on the other promotions before she joined ONE and she has been doing well. So definitely she has momentum. So I'm wondering how Mei's going to use the cage in her favor for that match.”

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Mei Yamaguchi hoping to change her fortune by venturing into submission grappling

Mei Yamaguchi has been on a tough stretch in her MMA career and is hoping to regain her form by competing outside of it.

Yamaguchi has been on the wrong end of three straight decisions since 2020. Despite the results, the 39-year-old looked strong and had a legitimate chance of getting the nod from the judges.

Competing in a single 12-minute round submission grappling contest against Brazilian jiu-jitsu star Danielle Kelly will give Yamaguchi a chance to showcase her talents in a different way and prove that she still has much to offer despite her recent slide.

However, the promotional newcomer certainly has the skills to overcome a tough legend like Mei Yamaguchi.

Can the Japanese veteran get back on the winning track, or will the American live up to the hype with a convincing win? We'll find out on March 26.