Mayssa Bastos admits she’d need to keep an eye out for Danielle Kelly’s magic: “She can surprise”
Mayssa Bastos knows that if she's going to come out on top against Danielle Kelly, she'll have to be prepared for anything.
After securing a big unanimous decision victory over Kanae Yamada at ONE Fight Night 20 in March, the eight-time BJJ world champion will look to cash in on her first title opportunity as she challenges Kelly for the ONE atomweight submission grappling world championship.
Knowing full well what Kelly is capable of on the mat, Bastos recognizes that she'll have to be as sharp as ever and ready for some surprises from the Silver Fox BJJ star if she hopes to leave the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok as a ONE world champion.
"I think that paying attention, in general, would be ideal [against Danielle Kelly]," Bastos told the promotion. "Not just paying attention to what I think she can do, because she can surprise."
Before making her debut on martial arts' biggest global stage, Mayssa Bastos topped the podium at some of the biggest BJJ tournaments around the globe, including the IBJJF European, Pans, and World Championships.
Danielle Kelly ready for her next big challenge against Mayssa Bastos
While Bastos has been dominating the tournament scene, Danielle Kelly has been establishing herself as the face of women's BJJ via an already iconic run under the ONE Championship banner.
Making her promotional debut in 2022, Kelly immediately established herself as the next big thing with an impressive showing against Japanese MMA legend Mei Yamaguchi. She has since followed that up with big wins over Mariia Molchanova and Ayaka Miura.
However, it was her win over Jessa Khan at ONE Fight Night 14 that stood out, scoring Kelly a big dose of redemption and the inaugural ONE atomweight submission grappling world championship.
Will Kelly come out on top in her first ONE world title defense, or will her reign end early at the hands of Brazilian sensation Mayssa Bastos?
ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE Fight Night 24 live and for free via Amazon Prime Video in U.S. primetime on Friday, August 2.