“Wasn’t training for a year” - Atomweight submission grappling queen Danielle Kelly once tried ring girling
Danielle Kelly went from a ring card girl at MMA events to a ONE world champion.
Kelly's rise from obscurity to fame, fortune, and BJJ supremacy is nothing short of inspiring. Being a student of the game for nearly 20 years, she reached the pinnacle in March 2022 when she made her promotional debut at ONE X, going toe-to-toe with Japanese combat sports icon Mei Yamaguchi.
Since then, she's earned three straight wins, including a victory over former foe Jessa Khan to claim the inaugural ONE atomweight submission grappling world champion.
But before becoming a household name in the world of BJJ, Kelly nearly gave it all up for a career as a ring card girl on the regional MMA scene.
"Striving for greatness. Has Danielle Kelly's journey to the top motivated you to chase your dreams?"
In response to a fan who commented on the post, Danielle Kelly revealed that her brief run as a ring card girl was during a hiatus from training BJJ shortly after college.
"Trained since 9 years old, ring girl a bit after some college and wasn't training for a year," Kelly wrote.
Fortunately, Danielle Kelly found her way back to the mat, where she became one of the sport's biggest stars.
Danielle Kelly proud to be the face of women's BJJ
After becoming the promotion's first-ever female submission grappling world champion, Danielle Kelly was delighted to be the face of ONE's atomweight grappling division and the face of women's BJJ around the world.
"I’m just proud to be the face of ONE Championship’s atomweight submission grappling champion at the end and being the face of women’s jiu-jitsu,” Kelly said immediately following her win over Jessa Khan at ONE Fight Night 14.
Since her world title-winning performance in September, Kelly has yet to book her return to the Circle. During her time away, she has stayed busy by traveling around the country and sharing her skills with the next generation of aspiring BJJ champions.
If you missed any of the action or want to relive an epic night in ONE Championship history, you can watch the ONE Fight Night 14 replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video in North America.