Danielle Kelly says father introduced her to jiu-jitsu after she got bullied at school

Submission grappling ace Danielle Kelly’s introduction to jiu-jitsu came off an unpleasant experience back in school. Things ultimately turned out well, as the sport has given her a lot.

The Silver Fox BJJ affiliate shared that her father introduced her to jiu-jitsu to address the bullying she was experiencing in junior high, as well as to keep her busy and active.

Danielle Kelly shared to Game Breakers in an interview:

“I was getting bullied a lot so it’s not really a happy story, but my dad got me into it to keep me active and also just help me deal with bullies at school because I was one of the smallest people in my junior high when I got to it.”

Jiu-jitsu would turn out to be one of her passions in life, and something that she has also built a good professional career out of.

Danielle Kelly, who is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, was a staple in various tournaments and promotions in the United States. Last year, she got the chance to sign with ONE Championship and is steadily becoming one of the trailblazers for the sport of submission grappling in the promotion.

The American grappling ace will see action on February 24 at ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video in Bangkok. She will take on Japanese judoka Ayaka Miura in a catchweight submission grappling contest that will mark her third outing in ONE.

The event will take place at the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium and will be aired live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America.

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WATCH: Danielle Kelly drills defense against judo throws ahead of Ayaka Miura match

Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Danielle Kelly knows she is up against a different beast in her upcoming ONE Championship fight and is preparing for it accordingly.

The grappling ace is stepping into action against judoka Ayaka Miura of Japan at ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video. The event is set for February 24 in Bangkok.

Based on her experience and observations, Danielle Kelly has said judo athletes have certain advantages going their way in grappling matches and that she has to be ready for them.

On Instagram, the Silver Fox BJJ affiliate posted a video of her sharpening her skills against judo throws ahead of her showdown against Miura.

Danielle Kelly captioned it with:

"How’s your Sunday morning? 🙃🙃🙃 @nikki_zannelli giving me throwpuccinos 🥋 (I made that word up)"

Check out the video post below:

Kelly made her ONE debut in March last year, battling to a draw against Japan's Mei Yamaguchi. She then followed it up with a submission victory in November over Russian Mariia Molchanova. Both fights earned her a $50,000 performance bonus.

Miura, meanwhile, is a former ONE women’s strawweight world title challenger who is hungry to get back in the win column and get right back in the world title hunt in MMA.