“I'm pretty confident, actually” - Danielle Kelly says she has been working on her striking in secret

Submission grappler Danielle Kelly is not satisfied with becoming a star under just one ruleset. For as long as Kelly has been signed to ONE Championship, she has hinted at a transition into MMA in her near future.

Kelly made her debut in ONE Championship earlier this year with a lot of hype around her. Despite dominating the majority of the contest, the 26-year-old was unable to submit her opponent Mei Yamaguchi and the match ended in a draw.

Despite her already impressive amount of experience competing against high-level grapplers, Danielle Kelly has been able to find time to prepare herself for a transition into MMA.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Kelly spoke about the work that she does behind the scenes:

“I like to give myself some credit. I've been kind of striking for the last three years. I just don't really post about it. I'm pretty confident, actually. I also did striking before for like, self-defense purposes. It took a while to get punched in the face and get used to it.”

Despite the recent steps that submission grappling has taken within ONE Championship, many of the sport's biggest stars have been open about wanting to add some striking into the mix and compete in MMA.

Kelly will make her second appearance inside the circle as she attempts to pick up her first win against Russian sambo specialist Mariia Molchanova.

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“I’ve never been really motivated for anything else” - Winning a ONE world title is Danielle Kelly’s ultimate goal

Danielle Kelly has set her sights on becoming a submission grappling world champion in ONE. After watching Mikey Musumeci and Kade Ruotolo become the promotion's first submission grappling titleholder, Kelly’s eyes lit up.

Whilst accomplishing that is easier said than done, the star potential of Danielle Kelly is clear to see.

In an interview with The MMA Superfan, the submission ace spoke about her newfound desire to have ONE Championship gold wrapped around her waist:

"I’m not really thinking about the attention of it [being the world champion], it’s like I kind of want that title, I want to win it. I’ve never been really motivated for anything else except for this opportunity."

Whilst a world championship would bring any fighter a new level of celebrity, Danielle Kelly doesn’t need a big shiny belt to become a star.

With her focus on proving that she is the best competitor in her division, Kelly can join the likes of Musumeci and Ruotolo as the leading forces in submission grappling.

Watch the full interview below: