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Welcome to today's edition of the daily Sportskeeda ONE Championship News Roundup, where we present the promotion's most important stories.
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Today we’ll discuss Danielle Kelly’s improving confidence inside the circle, John Lineker's willingness to test his skills across ONE Championship’s various sports, and Mikey Musumeci giving props to Osamah Almarwai.
#3. Danielle Kelly was much more comfortable competing in the circle in her second appearance
Just like any other submission grappler in the competitive scene, Danielle Kelly was used to competing on the mats without any physical boundaries. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, though, has slowly taken to life competing inside a cage.
Kelly is two fights into her ONE Championship career and the American submission ace admitted that she’s gaining more confidence every time she steps inside the circle.
The 27-year-old said in an interview with ONE Championship:
“It actually felt pretty good. I think the first time, which was back in March, I was a little nervous. So just trying to feel out of the cage and everything, it was like my first time in an actual cage setting because usually, jiu-jitsu matches are like, they reset you if you go off bounds, or you just keep going. But in the cage, you're just very limited. So I kind of had to get used to that.”
Kelly made her promotional debut in March 2022 where she drew with Mei Yamaguchi, a former ONE women’s atomweight world title contender. She then submitted sambo world champion Mariia Molchanova in just over two minutes in her second outing at ONE on Prime Video 4.
She’ll now head into her third fight in ONE Championship where she’ll take on Japanese judoka Ayaka Miura, a former ONE women’s strawweight world title contender, at ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video.
The card is set for February 24, US primetime, at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium and will be available live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America.
#2. John Lineker open to testing his skills in Muay Thai, kickboxing, and submission grappling in ONE Championship
John Lineker has already established himself as one of the best mixed martial artists in the world, but he’s not content with fighting in just one sport.
The former ONE bantamweight world champion told Sportskeeda MMA that he’d like to venture into other disciplines under ONE Championship.
Lineker said that he’d try competing in Muay Thai, kickboxing, and submission grappling once his rivalry against Fabricio Andrade for the vacant ONE bantamweight world title is settled:
“I already thought about doing some Muay Thai and grappling fights, but now I prefer to focus on this belt fight. But it is something that interests me for the future. Leave MMA aside for a bit and venture into Muay Thai, kickboxing, and grappling. These are future plans.”
‘Hands of Stone’, though, will first have to face Andrade in their highly anticipated rematch at ONE Fight Night 7 this February 24 at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.
#1. Mikey Musumeci impressed with Osamah Almarwai’s finish of 'Giant Slayer’
Mikey Musumeci has always been one to show appreciation to those who display premier technique, even if he’s set to compete against them.
The reigning ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion said in an interview with the Jiu-Jitsu Times how impressed he was with Osamah Almarwai’s submission win over Estevan 'The Giant Slayer' Martinez.
Coincidentally, Musumeci will defend his world title against Almarwai at ONE Fight Night 10 on Prime Video:
“He plays reverse De La Riva very well. He’s very good at strategy in IBJJF with points, but he also has very good submissions. He submitted Giant Slayer – someone I couldn’t submit! – so he has very good submissions. Estevan is so hard to submit because he has very small limbs, and they’re so hard to finish, but Osamah was able to get him in an arm triangle, I think, and it was very impressive.”
Musumeci’s match against Almarwai will be the second time he defends the ONE flyweight submission grappling world title and is slated for ONE Championship’s first on-site card in the United States.
ONE Fight Night 10 will transpire at the 1STBANK Center in Colorado on May 5 and will be available live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America.
