Danielle Kelly says ‘pushing the pace’ is of utmost importance for BJJ in the circle

Danielle Kelly believes playing the role of the aggressor is a major key to victory when competing in a submission grappling contest inside the circle.

Last month, Kelly made ONE Championship history by becoming the promotion’s first-ever women’s submission grappling world champion, capturing the atomweight title with a solid performance against former foe Jessa Khan.

After 10 minutes of intense action, where the Silver Fox BJJ athlete controlled large exchanges of the match, she emerged victorious with 26 pounds of gold resting on her shoulder inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Appearing on the Chewjitsu Podcast, Danielle Kelly shared some insight into her success inside the circle and one of the most important aspects of competing inside a cage compared to an open mat.

She said:

“You need to push the pace if you are in the cage, it's kind of like even a real-life scenario if you're outside and someone pushes you against the wall like you have to learn to defend yourself or attack the person and vice versa,” Kelly said.

Watch the full interview below:

With the victory, the Silver Fox BJJ product not only etched her name in the history books but also extended her unbeaten streak under the ONE Championship banner, delivering show-stealing performances against the likes of Mei Yamaguchi, Mariia Molchanova, and Ayaka Miura. But her victory over Jessa Khan was by far the sweetest-tasting victory she’s experienced since making her promotional debut in 2022.

What comes next for Kelly remains to be seen, but it’s safe to say that the photogenic submission sensation will have a massive target on her back now that she has the gold around her waist.

If you missed any of the action or want to relive an epic night in ONE Championship history, the ONE Fight Night 14 replay can be watched anytime on demand via Amazon Prime Video in North America.