“Her jiu-jitsu is very aggressive” - Mayssa Bastos can’t afford a lapse in judgment against dangerous Danielle Kelly
After narrowly escaping with a razor-close decision victory the last time they shared the ring, Mayssa Bastos learned that she cannot be complacent even for a split-second against Danielle Kelly.
The nine-time IBJJF world champion added another massive hardware to her trophy case after taking away the American's atomweight submission grappling world title at ONE Fight Night 24 last August.
The feisty Kelly, of course, didn't go down without a fight and even caught Bastos in several compromising positions.
After a 10-minute chess match, the Brazilian ace's control and total catches (legitimate submission attempts) powered her to victory in the judges' scorecards.
Still, Mayssa Bastos admits that the win was too close for comfort, and she cannot afford to have lapses in her rematch with the redemption-seeking Kelly.
The Art of Jiu Jitsu Academy affiliate told ONE in an exclusive interview:
"Danielle Kelly's Jiu-Jitsu is very good. I don't have much to say. She was once the division champion and is now trying to regain the title. Her Jiu-Jitsu is very aggressive and I think the titles she has won speak for themselves."
Don't miss the sequel to Mayssa Bastos and Danielle Kelly's epic first meeting, happening this Friday at ONE Fight Night 26: Lee vs Rasulov on Prime Video.
The stacked event will air live in US Primetime on Dec. 6, emanating from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. ONE Fight Night 26 is free for those with a Prime Video subscription in North America.
Mayssa Bastos guarantees a submission at ONE Fight Night 26
Mayssa Bastos wants to erase all doubts and the only way she could do it is through a decisive finish.
That said, the 27-year-old grappling queen vows to finish the job this time around and force Danielle Kelly to tap in their do-over.
The atomweight submission grappling champ told ONE:
“This time I see this fight ending in a submission. I think we’ll both be very focused on making that happen, on making a better fight."
To be fair, Bastos came close a couple of times with her incredible leg-lock submissions, but the defiant Kelly wriggled her way out each time.