"I just want to get that out of the way" - Danielle Kelly shares her goals inside and outside the ONE Circle in 2025

Danielle Kelly is mentally preparing to make some changes this coming 2025 new year.In the past couple of years, Kelly has accomplished nearly everything she had hoped to achieve in ONE Championship in becoming the first-ever ONE women's atomweight submission grappling world champion back in September 2023.

She even surpassed some of her own goals by becoming a role model for the next generation of female grapplers. With that in mind, Kelly has created a new blueprint for the 2025 year, which includes more time traveling abroad while focusing on her legacy as an all-time great. Speaking on the JitsCast podcast, she said:

"For ONE, I would love to stay active or competing. But also I want to just travel, you know. I want to visit some places that I haven't reached or trained at and see some family. So I just want to get that out of the way at the beginning of the year."

Watch Danielle Kelly's full interview with JitsCast below:

The American superstar is hoping to end her 2024 on a good note by reclaiming her crown against ONE atomweight submission grappling world champion Mayssa Bastos at ONE Fight Night 26.

The explosive co-main event airs live this Friday, Dec. 6, at the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, via Prime Video for North American subscribers.

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"Beating her will just put me way higher" - Danielle Kelly believes a win over Mayssa Bastos would legitimize her status as the best in the grappling world

Danielle Kelly is well aware of the prestige that comes with defeating one of the most decorated female grapplers in the world. That's why she's going into her rematch with the mindset to win, in order to prove to herself and others that she's a legimitate world-class champion.

Speaking to ONE, Kelly said:

"I feel like I am legit now, but I feel like just beating her, putting her name on my record of beating her, will just put me way higher."

Mayssa Bastos, the current ONE submission grappling queen, is a nine-time IBJJF World champion, as well as a multi-time world grappler in the American and European circuits.

Danielle Kelly on the other hand, hasn't had a long career in jiu-jitsu by comparision. However, she did give the Brazilian superstar a run for her money in their closely-contested world title matchup this past August, which is enough to convince Kelly that she's good enough to beat her.