"She's way more accomplished than me" - Danielle Kelly sizes up Mayssa Bastos world title defense
Reigning ONE atomweight submission grappling world champion Danielle Kelly believes the pressure will be on Mayssa Bastos to perform when they square off in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 24 on August 2.
That evening, at U.S. primetime, the American submission specialist goes toe-to-toe against the multi-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion in what marks her first assignment as the divisional queen.
With a proven track record under the promotion's submission grappling ruleset, the Silver Fox BJJ athlete admits she doesn't feel much weight on her shoulders to dazzle in Bangkok, Thailand.
In a recent interview with ONE Championship, Danielle Kelly shared:
"I feel like there's more pressure on her because when I beat her, it's better for me. Because on paper, again, she's way more accomplished than me. So, as a grappler, I respect that."
Danielle Kelly's road to ONE Fight Night 24 return
Despite the obvious challenge on the table, the 28-year-old ground game wizard is no stranger to beating the very best, and her impressive resume is proof of that.
After a stellar showing in her promotional bow against Mei Yamaguchi, the Silver Fox BJJ athlete stunned Sambo world champion Mariia Molchanova in November 2022. She followed up that submission triumph with a unanimous decision win over battle-tested Ayaka Miura.
Those wins eventually set her up for a rematch with longtime nemesis Jessa Khan at ONE Fight Night 14 in September last year. After a lengthy back-and-forth between the pair in the lead-up to the contest, Kelly had the last laugh as she cruised to a well-deserved decision win against the 2023 IBJJF world champion.
Much as she had done throughout her career and ONE Championship campaign, Kelly is out to prove that she can excel and make a statement when she takes to the Circle to defend her gold for the first time on August 2.
Catch Danielle Kelly in action at ONE Fight Night 24, which will be available to active Amazon Prime Video susbcribers in North America.