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The desire to become a world champion isn’t lost on Danielle Kelly, but there’s another overarching storyline that the American grappler wants to finish.
Kelly will face old foe Jessa Khan for the inaugural ONE women’s atomweight submission grappling world title at ONE Fight Night 14 this Friday, US primetime, at Singapore Indoor Stadium.
The match will be the second time that Kelly faces Khan after she lost in their first encounter in 2021 under the Who’s Number One banner.
That loss certainly left a bitter memory in Kelly, and she wants to finally avenge that defeat in the biggest match of her career.
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In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Kelly said:
“Since I started competing, I’ve learned a lot about myself. I’m more motivated than ever to get a win back on Jessa, and to prove I can be a world champion.”
She added:
“I know people don’t believe in me, but I’ve grown so much as a grappler–and now I can showcase it against a world-class grappler. Camp hasn’t been fun. I’ve pushed myself through injuries, but I’m here to prove why I am going to be champion.”
Kelly and Khan have largely remained away from each other’s radars following that fateful meeting in 2021.
Khan, who’s of Cambodian-American descent, continued to represent Cambodia in international competitions.
The 21-year-old has three gold medals in the Southeast Asian and Asian Games but her crowning achievement was the women’s light featherweight world title in the 2023 IBJJF World Championships.
Kelly, meanwhile, tore through the no-gi circuit and took wins over notable names such as Cynthia Calvillo, women’s MMA pioneer Roxanne Sodafferi, and former UFC women’s strawweight world champion Carla Esparza.
The Philadelphia native eventually made her way to ONE Championship where she’s racked up an undefeated run in her first three matches.
ONE Fight Night 14 is ONE Championship’s ninth Amazon card of the year and is available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America.
