“I'm trying to set an example” - Danielle Kelly on being the face of ONE’s women’s submission grappling scene

Less than a year after signing with ONE Championship, submission grappling superstar Danielle Kelly has quickly become the face of women’s Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Debuting at ONE’s 10th-anniversary showcase ONE X this past March, Kelly immediately made waves with her incredible performance over Japanese legend Mei Yamaguchi. The performance earned Kelly a $50,000 bonus and immediately made her one of the most recognizable names and faces in women’s grappling.

Kelly has embraced the role of being the face, especially at her gym where she is regularly challenged by women who want to test their skills against one of the best in the world. In an interview with ONE Championship, Kelly said:

“I have to keep a lookout because there are lots of girls and I'm being challenged more at the gym. So I'm just pretty confident in who I go against now. Especially MMA fighters, I think a lot of them, they're really tough too. But yeah, it just feels really good to be like the face because I'm trying to set an example.”

Danielle Kelly will make her long-awaited return to the Circle at ONE on Prime Video 4 where she will face sambo world champion Mariia Molchanova.

Amazon Prime Video subscribers can catch all the action live and for free on the streaming service in US primetime on November 18.

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Danielle Kelly sees similarities in sparring compared to training jiu-jitsu

As she prepares to make her sophomore appearance inside the Circle on November 18th, Danielle Kelly is already looking to make a transition into mixed martial arts. Not planning to rush anything, Kelly revealed that she has been sparring for some time now in preparation for a move into the world of atomweight MMA.

Discussing her training with ONE Championship, Kelly likened sparring to jiu-jitsu in the sense that the more you do it, the more you adapt to it:

“But I kind of think [striking], it's like jiu-jitsu. Not really, but it's kind of like jiu-jitsu. Like, once you get in there, it's kind of like, a lot of sparring, you do a lot of rolling. And then for MMA, you do a lot more sparring, you get used to it, kind of.”

While it’s far too early to speculate as to who Danielle Kelly will face in her highly-anticipated MMA debut, the submission star has an ongoing rivalry with reigning atomweight queen Angela Lee. Their verbal jabs through interviews and social media have already gotten MMA fans debating who will come out on top. Perhaps one day we will find out.

Watch her last match below: