“It helps to listen” - Danielle Kelly admits she would actively hear out her coaches’ instructions in the middle of fights

At ONE Fight Night 14 this past September, the dashing and dangerous grappling star Danielle Kelly became the inaugural ONE atomweight submission grappling world champion.

The American Brazilian jiu-jitsu superstar fought a familiar rival in Cambodian-American IBJJF world champion Jessa Khan inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium. After a hard-fought 10-minute match, Kelly saw her childhood dream come true as she came out on top with a solid unanimous decision win.

Currently taking a break from competition and waiting for her next opponent, Kelly decided to interact with her fans through Instagram. One of the interesting questions asked by a fan was whether or not she actively listens to her coaches' instructions during a match.

Here's Kelly's reply:

Danielle Kelly's story reply

In her reply, Danielle Kelly said:

"It's hard when there's a lot of noise in the background, but it helps to listen. If you watch my ONE matches closely, you'll hear them coach loud and I'm able to use that or help focus better on my opponent. Sometimes they'll see things you don't see in front of you."

There is a reason we have cornermen and coaches present in combat sport contests. While the majority of the fighter-coach dynamic takes place in the gym as they prepare for a fight, the in-ring coaching also provides vital assistance.

A coach's job, primarily, is to sharpen the fighter in the training room and have them learn a specific strategy for victory. Once they enter the ring, no more work should be done other than execute the plan the team has devised in the gym.

But as Danielle Kelly said in her reply, there are just some things you don't see while you're fighting and having a coach point those out to you is an invaluable asset.

At the moment, no official match has been linked to the ONE atomweight submission grappling queen yet. With 2023 coming to a close soon, however, expect new matchups to be announced in early 2024.