"Putting women's jiu-jitsu on the map" - Danielle Kelly grateful for being the first female ONE submission grappling world champion

Danielle Kelly has achieved a lot in her submission grappling career, but she still views the honor of being the first-ever female ONE submission grappling world champion as her most significant accomplishment.

During a sit-down interview with JitsCast, the inaugural ONE women's atomweight submission grappling world champion said:

"It feels pretty good. I always, like, try to stay humble but looking back, I'm really grateful that I'm definitely the first. Being the first American female athlete for ONE Championship in jiu-jitsu, in grappling, it's a good feeling because I feel like I'm kind of helping putting women's jiu-jitsu on the map."

Watch the entire interview below:

The Silver Fox BJJ product captured the inaugural crown over longtime rival Jessa Khan at ONE Fight Night 14 in September 2023 via unanimous decision.

The 28-year-old sought to successfully defend the throne against Brazilian megastar Mayssa Bastos this past August, but the nine-time IBJJF world champion had her number and constantly pressured her into making mistakes. This performance led to Bastos winning the gold via unanimous decision.

Kelly will have her opportunity to reclaim the crown when she rematches Bastos for 26 pounds of women's atomweight submission grappling gold at ONE Fight Night 26 on Friday, Dec. 6, inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

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Danielle Kelly motivated by chance to prove her greatness at ONE Fight Night 26

With Mayssa Bastos being one of the most decorated female competitors in ONE's submission grappling ranks, Danielle Kelly needs no extra motivation heading into ONE Fight Night 26.

In a recent interview with ONE, Kelly shared:

"She is the most decorated girl in our weight class and below. So, beating her would definitely put me up there."

ONE Fight Night 26 will air live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.