"Just be in my own world" - Danielle Kelly admits it's mentally taxing to compete at the highest level
Danielle Kelly has been through a lot in both her personal and professional life.
Now that she has reached the mountain top as ONE's inaugural atomweight submission grappling world champion, Kelly admits it's still not always sunshine and rainbows.
After all, the pressure that comes with the crown is not for the faint of heart. As the American BJJ savant continues to grind behind closed doors to continually polish her skills, it also comes with the burden of handling burnout, both physically and mentally.
In an appearance on The Few Will Hunt Show's YouTube channel, Kelly candidly admitted that she still questions herself from time to time.
"If I'm having a bad day, especially if I'm in a fight camp for a match or something, I have days where I'm like, 'Why am I doing this?' I want to quit. I still have those days, of course."
The Silver Fox BJJ athlete continued:
"I do this for work. When I get home, I don't want to talk about jiu-jitsu. I don't want to look at jiu-jitsu. I just want to play games or be in my own world."
Danielle Kelly's mental fortitude is indeed one of her most endearing qualities.
Despite her self-doubt, the 28-year-old continues to fight through and serve as an inspiration to her fans worldwide.
Watch the interview in its entirety:
Danielle Kelly says ring rust won't be an issue at ONE Fight Night 24
In an earlier interview with Home of the Fight, Danielle Kelly addressed the dreaded fighter's ring rust, which happens even to the best athletes after lengthy lay-offs.
"I'm going to have probably like ring rust or something. But you know, everyone's pushing me in my team so I'm pretty confident," she said.
The American BJJ ace last competed at ONE Fight Night 14 last year, where she bested former tormentor Jessa Khan to claim 26 pounds of gold.
Then again, Kelly never rested on her laurels since winning the title and continued honing her craft.
This coming August 2, Kelly will return at ONE Fight Night 24 to defend her crown against Mayssa Bastos.
The full event will emanate from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, live in US Primetime, free for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.