Danielle Kelly admits she was rattled during ONE X fight week

Grappling sensation Danielle Kelly has been nothing short of impressive since entering ONE Championship last year. That's despite the fact that the young star had to get acclimated to the sometimes overwhelming nature of competing on the global stage.

The 27-year-old debuted at ONE X in March 2022, where she grappled Mei Yamaguchi to a draw. Kelly has since admitted to feeling a bit rattled in her debut. She told the promotion:

"At first it was a little nerve-wracking because I’m a little shy and I was still getting used to all the interviews that were happening weekly. Not only that, the flight there was a little overwhelming at first. I didn’t know what to expect because I didn’t realize that it would be 13 hours ahead so I had to adjust to the time change."

Check out Danielle Kelly's match with Mei Yamaguchi at ONE X below:

While she could only manage a draw on debut, Kelly made quick work of her opposition at ONE on Prime Video 4, locking in a rear-naked choke on Mariia Molchanova to earn her first victory in the circle.

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Danielle Kelly relished opportunity to compete in a cage

In addition to competing on the world stage under ONE's banner, Kelly also made her first appearance fighting in a cage. It's vital experience for her as she has long-teased a transition to mixed martial arts in the future.

Kelly revealed what it was like grappling in a cage in a conversation with ONE:

“I needed to learn how to compete in the cage, because, you know, jiu-jitsu people we’re usually used to just, kind of like, an open stage where they will either restart you or like, there’s no barrier cage to stop you so you have to keep going. That was new.”

Danielle Kelly is slated to make her third appearance inside the circle at ONE on Prime Video 7 in February. This time, she'll be facing Japan's Ayaka Miura.

Miura is a seven-fight ONE veteran who has shared the circle with the likes of Tiffany Teo and Xiong Jing Nan.

Make sure to check back with Sportskeeda for any and all updates concerning Danielle Kelly's next submission grappling match at ONE on Prime Video 7 against Ayaka Miura.