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The one thing you can't allow ONE atomweight submission grappling world champion Danielle Kelly to do is take your back. If you allow her this position, it's not a possibility that she'll choke you out - it's a certainty.
That's exactly what happened to Sambo specialist Mariia Molchanova when she faced Danielle Kelly at ONE on Prime Video 4. The American BJJ black belt didn't waste any time taking the back of her Russian foe and working her way to a rear-naked choke.
Before Molchanova could find her bearings and mount an escape, Kelly already had her arm under her neck. It was only a matter of seconds before the inevitable tap happened.
Here's a video of the full bout:
After the win over Molchanova, Kelly went on to have a nail-biting performance against Ayaka Miura to earn her first world title shot.
Then at ONE Fight Night 14 last year, the 28-year-old grappling phenom realized her childhood dream by beating her rival Jessa Khan for the inaugural ONE atomweight submission grappling world title.
Danielle Kelly teases next fight announcement in cryptic Instagram post
In an Instagram post about a week ago, Danielle Kelly teased an announcement of her next bout.
Fans are salivating at the prospect of seeing their favorite grappler step on the competitive mats again.
Here's the post with the caption that says:
may have some match news … 🤙🏼staying focused
Whoever it is that will lock horns with Kelly next, it's still a mystery at this point.
A rumored trilogy match with Jessa Khan circulated after their bout last year, seeing that Kelly and her Cambodian rival are currently 1-1 in their series. We wouldn't mind seeing them go at it again for another 10-minute classic.
Another prospect is ONE flyweight submission grappling king Mikey Musumeci's sister, Tammi Musumeci. Mikey Musumeci, speaking for his sister (who doesn't have social media), threw down the gauntlet and challenged Danielle Kelly to defend her belt against Tammi.
