“I see a lot of good with this promotion” - Brazilian jiu-jitsu star Danielle Kelly talks about signing with ONE Championship

It’s been only a week or so since grappling star Danielle Kelly signed with Singapore-based ONE Championship. However, the 26-year-old is already loving the future that she sees for herself in Asia’s largest martial arts organization.

The Philadelphian agreed to a deal with ONE to compete in submission grappling and eventually MMA. This week, the promotion announced that she will be facing Japanese veteran Mei Yamaguchi in an atomweight submission grappling match at ONE X, the promotion's historic 10-year anniversary event that broadcasts live from Singapore on March 26.

In a recent interview with ONE, Kelly talked about joining the promotion and the reason behind it:

"What brought me to ONE Championship? I like what ONE Championship represents. And over the years, I've been watching a lot of the female fighters. I like that they have a women's atomweight division. And, you know, I really liked how Chatri [Sityodtong] brought up the sport and, you know, ONE Championship is becoming popular. I like how he supports all the jiu-jitsu fighters. I see a lot of good with this promotion.”

Kelly talked about being approached by ONE two years ago, just before the onset of COVID-19. While she felt it wasn’t the right time to join ONE Championship then, she’s now ready to test out the waters:

“I wasn't really sure at the time. So we were kind of in talks. We stayed connected for a little while, and this year, I decided, you know, if I want to have my first fight, it would be the ONE Championship. I'm really excited to see what the future brings, being under this amazing promotion.”

---

Danielle Kelly is inspired by fellow grapplers in ONE Championship

According to the atomweight, her grappling showdown with Yamaguchi is just the beginning. Danielle Kelly fully intends to transition to MMA down the line.

Throughout the years, ONE has signed a bevy of elite grapplers, such as Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida, Yuri Simoes, Gordon Ryan, and Andre Galvao. However, it was Garry Tonon who inspired Danielle Kelly the most.

Kelly followed Tonon’s transition to MMA and says she may go down a similar path:

“I've known him for a while right before he got popular. You know, that's funny, because actually, he’s one of the few that I've always been watching whether it was MMA fighting or jiu-jitsu. And even after he got signed, I would watch every MMA fight to the end. And we kind of have a similar style. So that for sure helped me with my decision.”

Who’s excited to see Danielle Kelly in the Circle?