Submission grappling star Danielle Kelly scored her second straight victory at ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video. But that's not to say she didn't face danger during the match.
The New Jersey native rose to the occasion yet again, this time beating a bigger opponent in judo star Ayaka Miura. However, Miura had Kelly in her patented 'Ayaka Lock' for a moment before the American was able to escape.
Danielle Kelly took to Instagram following the match to share a moment where she fell into her opponent's patented move. She posted:
"It was at this moment I was like 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔how??!!! (Then escaped)"
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Danielle Kelly relishes being a trailblazer for the culture of jiu-jitsu
The 27-year-old is turning into one of the biggest faces of submission grappling and jiu-jitsu as a whole. Kelly told The MMA Superfan that she couldn't be happier to represent the sport on the global stage, stating:
"I’m at a part of my life right now where I’m making changes, making a first time for everything. I wasn’t really happy with my first match, but the fact that it was the first female grappling match in ONE Championship is a huge accomplishment for me. And it feels like I’m in a spot where I can push the sport, especially for females and little girls, kids. I think it’s given me a lot of outlook in life."
With wins outside of ONE Championship over the likes of Carla Esparza, Roxanne Modafferi, and Cynthia Calvillo, the Silver Fox BJJ affiliate entered with a lot of hype behind her. To this point, she has lived up to and exceeded all of the hype.
Following a draw in her ONE debut against Mei Yamaguchi, Kelly has rattled off two consecutive victories over Mariia Molchanova and now Ayaka Miura.
Despite making her submission grappling debut, Miura presented some challenges for Kelly in that she was heavier, bigger, and a judo practitioner.
Make sure to check back with Sportskeeda MMA for an announcement regarding Danielle Kelly's next match, as she hopes to one day compete for an inaugural women's submission grappling world title.
Check out Danielle Kelly's full interview with The MMA Superfan below: