“Really good for the sport” - Danielle Kelly believes jiu-jitsu can reach the same level as MMA under ONE Championship

Danielle Kelly believes the future of Brazilian jiu-jitsu is looking bright under ONE Championship. The BJJ sensation predicted that the sport could reach the same level of popularity as MMA as it increases its fan following.

While many casual fans are still unfamiliar with the discipline, it may not be the case that much longer with grappling stars such as Danielle Kelly and Mikey Musumeci leading the way. In an exclusive interview with ONE Championship, they asked her to give her reaction to ONE’s continued push for submission grappling in the mainstream.

The Philadelphia native responded with:

“I think it's great, you know, especially for women's jiu-jitsu. You know, there are a lot of top female athletes out there, and they have a bigger following. In a regular jiu-jitsu world, the females are being seen and they're not really getting paid as much or getting the attention that they should get, that they deserve. You know, I think with ONE Championship pushing for [women empowerment], I think it's really good for the sport, for both men and women. I think it's a good move and a lot of these jiu-jitsu matches are very exciting. I think it could be on the level where MMA is.”

Danielle Kelly might already be the new face of women’s jiu-jitsu under the ONE banner. Her inspirational story and humble personality have reached thousands of women and young girls worldwide, garnering a tremendous following of 221K followers on Instagram almost overnight.

Fellow BJJ black belt Mikey Musumeci, has shot up to 268K following his guest appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast alone, which goes to show how much fans are invested in learning more about the sport. With ONE Championship being the only martial arts organization in the world to ever bring BJJ into the mainstream, it’s only going to get bigger from here.

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Danielle Kelly doesn’t worry about being underestimated, takes it as a compliment

Danielle Kelly doesn’t mind being underestimated by fellow MMA and BJJ competitors. Her size, age, and good looks may have caused some to undervalue her skills, but the Silver Fox BJJ member has learned not to take it personally.

The BJJ black belt shared a photo of herself on Instagram, this time without a gi and high ponytail, to show off her no-nonsense attitude. She playfully quipped the caption to say:

"Don’t worry, it’s a huge compliment to me when people don’t take me seriously. 💁🏻‍♀️🥰"

Behind the scenes, Kelly is preparing for her next submission grappling bout which is rumored to be a rematch against fellow WNO grappler Jessa Khan. Fans are excited to see the Silver Fox member submit Khan with one of her favorite submission techniques--the kimura or the heel hook.