Danielle Kelly admits she was starstruck by Mayssa Bastos early in career: "Because of how accomplished she is"

Reigning and undisputed ONE women's atomweight submission grappling world champion Danielle Kelly of the United States admits that upcoming opponent Mayssa Bastos may perhaps be the most decorated opponent she has ever faced. So much so that Kelly admits she would have been starstruck at Bastos had they met earlier in her career.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Kelly talked about Bastos and how she felt about the Brazilian star.

The 28-year-old American said:

"And I feel like because of how accomplished she is, I think years ago, if I went against her, if I first, like, noticed her, I would kinda be starstruck. Or maybe not starstruck, but I would be kinda frozen and be afraid to, you know, do what I have to, what I learned, or what I trained for because I'm so distracted. Like, ‘Oh my god. It's Mayssa. She's won this and that.’"

Bastos is a five-time world champion and one of the most accomplished female grappling stars in the world today. She and Kelly will meet in the ring this weekend to determine who the best 115-pound grappler in the world is.

Kelly is excited about the matchup.

Danielle Kelly puts atomweight gold on the line against Mayssa Bastos at ONE Fight Night 24 on Prime Video

ONE women's atomweight submission grappling world champion Danielle Kelly is set to defend her coveted belt against Brazil's Mayssa Bastos.

The two lock horns in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 24: Brooks vs. Balart on Prime Video, which broadcasts live from the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, August 2.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription. Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the news and updates surrounding the event as it happens.