Danielle Kelly is eager to show the world that he's tougher than she looks.
Walking past the reigning ONE atomweight submission grappling world champion on the street, you'd never guess that she could remove any one of your limbs at will, but that's exactly what she's capable of and she'll look to prove it again when she makes his long-awaited return to the Circle on Friday, Aug. 2.
On that night, Kelly will feature as part of a loaded ONE Fight Night 24 card inside the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, as she puts her gold on the line against accomplished BJJ veteran and ONE newcomer Mayssa Bastos.
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Speaking with ONE Championship ahead of her first appearance of 2024, Kelly is determined to put her strength on display against the 115-win veteran. She said:
“You know, I don’t want to settle for less. I think settling for less is for the weak. I am not a weak person, and I can’t wait to prove that against Mayssa Bastos.”
Mayssa Bastos looks to solidify her legacy with a win over Danielle Kelly
Thus far, Danielle Kelly is undefeated under the ONE Championship banner, scoring wins over Maria Molchanova, Ayaka Miura, and Jessa Khan. However, her challenge at ONE Fight Night 24 may very well be her toughest yet.
Mayssa Bastos is one of the most accomplished grapplers in the history of the sport, placing first at the illustrious IBJJF World Championships in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. She's also topped the podium at the IBJFF Pans and European Championship in addition to winning the WNO Championship in 2021.
If Baystos can add a ONE world title to her resume, she may go down as the greatest female grappler of all time.
ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE Fight Night 24 live and for free via Amazon Prime Video in U.S. primetime on Friday, Aug. 2.