"I'm respected a little more" - Danielle Kelly on how life has changed since becoming a ONE world champion
Danielle Kelly feels like she's gaining traction amongst the BJJ elites after achieving her dream of becoming the inaugural ONE women's atomweight submission grappling world champion.
The American superstar is just days away from defending her atomweight crown against one of the most prolific jiu-jitsu talents in the world, Mayssa Bastos, at ONE Fight Night 24 on August 2.
As such, Danielle Kelly's mentality from contender to ONE world champion has shifted drastically since defeating top jiu-jitsu star Jessa Khan last September.
After years of being in the competitive circle, defeating far more accomplished BJJ stylists than her, Kelly feels like she's finally getting the recognition she deserves.
She told ONE:
"I'm a champion at 115. I'm traveling, going against the best in the world. I love what I do. I get to travel more for seminars. I feel like I'm respected a little more, after beating another world champion that's from the same school as my opponent. Yeah, that's just a lot of good stuff going with it."
Danielle Kelly is at the height of her career after fighting her way through the division to capture the belt. With a perfect record of 3-0, including a draw to Japanese judoka Mei Yamaguchi and a win at 125 lbs, the Philadelphia grappler is seemingly unstoppable.
Watch Danielle Kelly try to extend her reign this Friday at ONE Fight Night 24. It will air live in US Primetime and is free of charge for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
Danielle Kelly on the advice she would give to young girls who are being bullied
Danielle Kelly's trajectory to superstardom didn't come without its life's trials.
The 28-year-old standout lived most of her childhood in fear of getting beat up at school. She was often the center of attention for the wrong reasons, and she felt it was almost impossible to stand up to those who wanted to harm her.
Things at home weren't easy either. She lost both of her parents to illnesses before her career took flight, which also took a mental toll on her well-being. But if she didn't find a way to distract herself from her grief, Kelly admits that her life would have looked a lot different than it is today.
"If I had a daughter," Kelly began telling ONE, "a kid that was in my shoes, I'd tell them to get into sports. I think if I didn't get into sports when I was younger, I don't know what I would be doing."