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ONE women's atomweight grappler Danielle Kelly will make her much-awaited return to the Circle at ONE on Prime Video 4 on November 18. The dashing and dangerous American grappler will face multi-time sambo world champion Mariia Molchanova on the main card of the explosive card in US Prime Time.
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In an interview with SCMP MMA, Danielle Kelly spoke about how she feels about finally coming back to action:
"Feels pretty good, it’s been like eight months since I was back and I’m just really really excited to get back out there."
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Kelly was last seen inside the Circle in a performance bonus-winning performance against MMA veteran Mei Yamaguchi at ONE: X back in March. After her high-profile appearance in the biggest martial arts event in history, the Jiujitsu blackbelt will once again showcase her skills against a rivaling martial art.
ONE has been fueling the fire of an ongoing rivalry between Sambo and BJJ, and Kelly vs. Molchanova is the latest entry.
Watch the full interview here:
Danielle Kelly is motivated to win a world title in ONE Championship
In a separate online interview with The MMA Superfan on YouTube, Danielle Kelly spoke about her recent aspirations to win a world title in ONE Championship.
After her fellow BJJ blackbelts Mikey Musumeci and Kade Ruotolo recently won shiny new belts in the Asian martial arts promotions, Kelly decided that she wanted one for herself:
"I’m not really thinking about the attention of it [being the world champion], it’s like I kind of want that title, I want to win it. I’ve never been really motivated for anything else except for this opportunity."
Though most aspiring world champions would say that their pursuit of greatness and legacy as motivations to win the belt, there's also merit in wanting the massive attention a world title can bring to one's career.
World champions can bring more eyes to the sport as they are marked the best in their craft. Having them face challengers and protect their thrones can create more hype than a usual bout between contenders. More hype around a fight means more butts in seats, which in turn can generate higher income and better financial opportunities. It seems Danielle Kelly is playing chess while everyone is playing checkers.
Watch the full interview below:
