"Against all odds" - Danielle Kelly's rise from losing her parents to becoming a global superstar with ONE Championship
Fight fans worldwide are fascinated by Danielle Kelly's remarkable success story in ONE Championship.
Before Kelly became the first female atomweight submission grappling world champion, she was the quiet and shy girl from jiu-jitsu practice who never believed she could one day go down as one of the best female grapplers of her generation.
But her long travail to the top, wouldn't have happened without some adversity to push her forward. Before she reached the age of 20, she lost both her parents to serious illnesses. Alone and without much direction, Kelly eventually found refuge in jiu-jitsu.
This week, as Kelly heads towards her first world title defense, we are reminded that major challenges in life can be overcome with determination and heart.
On Instagram, ONE Championship aptly highlighted her incredible journey with the caption that read:
"Against all odds. Will Danielle Kelly retain the women's atomweight submission grappling belt against Mayssa Bastos on August 2 at ONE Fight Night 24 on @primevideo?"
ONE CEO and Chairman Chatri Siyodtong among the thousands of fans who are touched by Danielle Kelly's story
Nearly a year after claiming the inaugural belt, Danielle Kelly is expected to return to the line of fire to prove her doubters wrong yet again.
The American superstar was dealt a bad hand from the start, but she proved her resiliency and strength by competing at the highest level in the world despite her struggles. Knowing this, there is no doubt that she can do it again to retain the belt she's worked so hard to achieve.
As ONE CEO and Chairman Chatri Sityodtong commented on her page on Instagram:
"It goes to show that passion, purpose, and grit together can overcome anything in life,"
Check out all the best fan comments below:
ONE Fight Night 24 will air live from the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, in US Primetime, for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.