Danielle Kelly admits she would have gotten choked out from ‘Ayaka Lock’ if chin was exposed

American grappler Danielle Kelly recently admitted that she would’ve gotten choked out by Ayaka Miura if her chin had been exposed in last Friday’s main event.

The Silver Fox BJJ representative found herself in a precarious situation early on in her match against Japanese judoka and MMA fighter Ayaka Miura at ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video.

Although Kelly anticipated defending herself from Miura’s deadliest weapon, the ‘Ayaka Lock,’ she admitted that if she hadn’t found a way out, there was a good chance of being choked out of that position.

Speaking at the post-event interview, the 27-year-old sensation said:

“My head kinda hurts a little bit just from the squeeze. You know I feel like, if she had me a little more deeper. She does like the head and arm choke from the lock and tries to attack your arm. So, thankfully, like, I kept hiding my chin. She’s really strong there. I think if my chin was out and I’m facing her I think she would’ve choked me.”

Despite coming very close to being submitted, the Philadelphia native proved her resilience in the face of adversity. It took a lot of strength and determination on her part to scramble free and turn the tables on her rival just before she ran out of time. In the end, Miura made the mistake of giving up her back, which allowed Kelly to do what she did best.

Never letting the opportunity go to waste, the American standout scored big on the judges’ scorecards with multiple rear-naked chokes as Miura did what she could to survive until the bell.

Watch the clip below:

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Ayaka Miura proved to be stronger opponent for Danielle Kelly compared to Mei Yamaguchi

As Danielle Kelly previously predicted, finding a submission against Ayaka Miura proved to be a more difficult physical endeavor than when she faced Mei Yamaguchi back in March 2022.

Mei Yamaguchi, a 114 lbs and 5'0'’ tall MMA fighter from Japan, was Danielle Kelly’s perfect match in both weight and size. Very strong technically as a jiu-jitsu practitioner, Yamaguchi’s only flaw was her lack of engagement towards Kelly, which as a result, led to the match ending in a draw.

By contrast, ‘Zombie’ Ayaka Miura, was physically engaging from start to finish. Her powerful judo and physical strength was obvious from the onset, but Danielle Kelly’s all-around jiu-jitsu was on a different level.

At the end of the day, it was technique, skill, and relentless pacing that earned Kelly her second straight win in ONE Championship.