Danielle Kelly: A Comfortable Underdog

After pulling off one of the biggest upsets of 2023 to win the ONE Championship women’s atomweight submission grappling title, Danielle Kelly now prepares for an even more challenging test in her first championship defense. The Philadelphia-based black belt faces five-time International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation world champion Mayssa Bastos in the ONE on Prime Video 24 co-main event this Friday at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Kelly sounds eager to perform in her first match since September, but she’s well aware of the task ahead of her. Bastos is one of the most decorated jiu-jitsu players in the world, and she will be looking to add Kelly’s belt to her extensive trophy collection.

“Mayssa is a tough opponent who’s not a slouch,” Kelly told Sherdog.com “She does have weaknesses, but overall, she is one of the top competitors. I was surprised I got this fight as a first title defense. Mentally, there’s some doubt if I’m going to be honest. I’m confident, but this could be a reality check. We’ll see.”

Do not mistake Kelly’s humility for weakness, however. As the 28-year-old has progressed through her career, she has learned to analyze and overcome more accomplished opponents. She has beaten Roxanne Modafferi, Cynthia Calvillo and former Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s strawweight titleholder Carla Esparza. The proof of Kelly’s mental toughness was most evident in her win over Jessa Khan at ONE on Prime Video 14 in September.

The first time Kelly faced Khan back in 2021, she was in awe of the IBJFF world champion. Kelly had not been a black belt for more than a year and was nursing a nagging injury. She was not prepared to face Khan physically or mentally that night, but fast forward two years later. Despite being the underdog, she brought the fight to Khan and outworked her for 10 minutes. Since their first meeting, Kelly looked strong, confident and way more polished. She may not have all the tournament wins as some of her competition, but underestimating Kelly can come with less-than-desirable results.

“Anybody that’s in front of me needs to remember they’re in the ring with me,” Kelly said. “Who cares who you train with? Who cares how many titles you have? The first time I was in there with Jessa, I was like, ‘Wow, she’s really, really good,’ and I got my butt kicked. The second time, she tried to play the same game, and I demolished her at it.”

Kelly credits her improvement as a grappler for her comfort with being uncomfortable. As the champion that can be a tricky balance, however. In camp, she’s constantly challenged by partners who want to see how they stack up to the world’s best, but Kelly thinks it’s her willingness to work out of bad positions that makes her so relaxed on fight night.

“When you’re training, you had better make mistakes in front of your teammates or your friends instead of the thousands of people who will be in a tournament,” she said. “I go into the gym to learn, and I’m still a white belt at heart. I’ve always gotten better by asking questions.”

To beat Bastos, Kelly may have to play the perfect game. She admits she thinks Bastos is persistent and precise in her technique, so the match will have to be cerebral. Bastos has her beat in experience and pedigree, but she has also never faced a grappler so comfortable with being the underdog. If Kelly catches her sleeping, she could pull off another monumental upset.

“I can see why she’s favored to win,” Kelly said. “I am the underdog, I haven’t competed in almost a year and she’s number one in the weight class. It’s going to be tough, but these are all things that I’ll figure out.”