Danielle Kelly far from satisfied in her martial arts career

Danielle Kelly isn’t satisfied with her accomplishments in submission grappling.

Before signing with ONE Championship, Kelly made a name for herself in various tournaments and submission grappling promotions. The 27-year-old is a former RISE Invitational champion and a Submission Hunter Pto No-Gi champion.

Along with those titles, the Philadelphia native holds grappling wins over several well-known MMA fighters, including Roxanne Modafferi, Cynthia Calvillo, and former UFC world champion Carla Esparza.

During a Q&A on Instagram, Kelly was asked by a fan:

“If you stopped grappling,do you think you would be fine with what you have accomplished?”

Kelly responded by saying:

“No I feel like I need more💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻”

Danielle Kelly's Instagram story

In March 2022, Danielle Kelly made her ONE Championship debut at ONE X. The Silver Fox BJJ affiliate was matched up against Mei Yamaguchi, a former ONE women’s atomweight MMA world title challenger. Despite her valiant effort, she was unable to secure a finish, leading to a draw before the promotion changed their rule to prevent similar results.

Eight months later, Kelly showed why she’s one of the best female grapplers on the planet by submitting Mariia Molchanova in two minutes and fifteen seconds. As a result, the American was awarded a $50,000 performance bonus from ONE Championship CEO and Chairman Chatri Sityodtong.

Kelly’s last appearance in the Circle was on February 24. She overcame the strength and savvy grappling skills of former ONE women’s strawweight MMA world title challenger Ayaka Miura, leading to a unanimous decision win.

The American hopes her next submission grappling match will be against Jessa Khan, who holds a win over the BJJ superstar in a different promotion. Khan is signed to ONE Championship, significantly increasing the chance of the rematch being booked.