"I'm probably a cop right now" - Danielle Kelly would've been part of law enforcement if not for jiu-jitsu

Danielle Kelly is such a huge name in the world of submission grappling that it would be strange to think of her doing anything else.

In an interview with MMA Mania, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt said that she would've taken a widely different path if not for the sport. She said that she would’ve joined the police force if she hadn’t fallen in love with the grappling arts when she was 11 years old.

Danielle Kelly said:

“I think I wanted to be in school to be a cop. I wanted to be a detective, I always had aspirations to be one. I will probably still be in school with that stuff, or I’m probably a cop right now. So I’m thankful I found jiu-jitsu in my life because I wouldn’t have met the people and have the things I have now without it.”

Kelly made her debut in ONE Championship at ONE X and settled for a draw against MMA veteran Mei Yamaguchi. Although she’s a newcomer to the global stage, the fresh-faced submission artist is a well-known name in BJJ.

The 26-year-old holds wins over Roxanne Modafferi, Carla Esparza, Cynthia Calvillo, and IBJJF world champion Sofia Amarante. She also turned heads when she recorded the fastest submission at Who’s Number One, after forcing Jessica Crane to tap via kneebar within three minutes.

Watch the complete interview with Danielle Kelly in the video below:

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BJJ gave Danielle Kelly the confidence during her childhood

Danielle Kelly was just a kid when she first got introduced to BJJ. Her love for the sport also came during one of the hardest times of her life. Being one of the smallest kids at school, Kelly was often bullied. It was her father who suggested she take up martial arts to defend herself.

She commented on her childhood training by saying:

“I started middle school and, being the youngest kid, I was getting bullied by the older kids. I’m just a short 70-pound little girl who went to a city school and there was a point where girls tried to jump me. I was going through a lot of hard times too. I didn’t have the confidence, I was taking care of a sick dad at home, so I just had a lot going on at such a young age.”

It was her mother who eventually brought her to a nearby gym, thus beginning her journey into martial arts. Kelly said her coach ultimately listed her for a competition where she would end up beating more experienced students. She added:

“I was in the beginner division and I submitted the first three girls and I got first place. The owner of the promotion said he thought I was cheating, I was only four, five months in so there’s no way. So he put me in the expert division. I lost my first match but then the second match [came and] I ended up submitting this girl in under a minute who had years on me. Ever since I fell in love with it, this is what I wanna do.”