Mayssa Bastos refuses to call herself the pound-for-pound best female grappler: “I would rather let people say”

Mayssa Bastos would rather fans label her as the best pound-for-pound women's submission grappler.

On Dec. 6, Bastos defended her women's atomweight submission grappling world title for the first time. The Brazilian superstar faced the same opponent she dethroned, Danielle Kelly, due to how close their first matchup was.

At ONE Fight Night 26, Bastos secured another unanimous decision, silencing those who thought Kelly should still be the world champion. The rematch almost came down to another close judge's decision before Bastos shockingly scored a catch in the final moments.

During her post-fight interview, Bastos was asked about potentially being the pound-for-pound best female grappler on the planet. She responded by saying:

"I don't know. I would rather let people say. I'm not gonna say that I'm pound for pound, I would let people say if I am or not."

For those who missed ONE Fight Night 26, the event's replay can be seen by North American viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription. Several special moments to revisit are Jonathan Di Bella's masterclass performance, Yuya Wakamatsu vs. Gilbert Nakatani, Nakrob vs. Kongthoranee, and more.

---

Danielle Kelly releases short statement following second loss against Mayssa Bastos

Heading into ONE Fight Night 26, Danielle Kelly held a promotional record of 3-1-1, with her lone loss against Mayssa Bastos. After failing to regain her world title, Bastos must return to the drawing board and work on a path to climb the women's atomweight submission grappling division.

Kelly shared the following message on Instagram after her second loss to Bastos:

"I’ll be back for the next. Thank you Thailand 🇹🇭 some pics"

Meanwhile, Bastos now holds a ONE Championship record of 3-0. The nine-time IBJJF world champion started with a unanimous decision win against Kanae Yamada before taking out Danielle Kelly twice. The Brazilian superstar must wait for another challenger to emerge to test her world-class skills.

Kelly will need at least one win before earning another title shot. She has several options for his next opponent, including a top-tier MMA fighter, a highly-touted promotional newcomer, or even a rematch against Jessa Khan.