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Grappling practitioner Danielle Kelly is prepping for her second ONE appearance at ONE on Prime Video 4. In the event's lead-up, the 26-year-old is teasing a possible transition to MMA in the future. Kelly's move to MMA is undoubtedly highly anticipated, but some worry about how she'd fare, having never competed in the sport on a professional level.
In a recent interview with ONE Championship, the New Jersey native commented on the potential transition:
"You get really used to getting punched in the face, but I don't know, I feel like if I do it more, I'd be more comfortable. So I think I'd be confident and my jiu-jitsu would be better than my opponent, whoever I'm going against, so I can always fall back on that.”
For the time being, Kelly is entirely focused on her upcoming grappling match against Mariia Molchanova at ONE on Prime Video 4.
Kelly's ONE debut resulted in a draw, but before that, she beat Roxanne Modafferi as well as Cynthia Cavillo while also competing against current UFC women's strawweight champ Carla Esparza.
Danielle Kelly currently eyeing MMA debut in 2023
The BJJ star will be joining a stacked ONE women's atomweight division, which includes current champion Angela Lee. Other top contenders include Stamp Fairtex, Ham Seo Hee, Denice Zamboanga, and Alyona Rassohyna.
Earlier in 2022, the Silver Fox affiliate spoke with The Schmo about her plans:
“Hopefully soon, I’ll have like one or two more jiu-jitsu matches and then maybe I’ll focus on my first MMA fight next year. I just want to compete in jiu-jitsu first, and then sometime next year I want to make the move to MMA.”
The uberly-talented competitor has fans around the world excited to see her transition from submission grappling to mixed martial arts. The move will only elevate her already palpable stardom.
Make sure to tune in to ONE on Prime Video 4 on November 18 to watch Danielle Kelly take to the stage with Mariia Molchanova in a women's atomweight grappling showdown. The event will take place live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Check out Danielle Kelly's full interview with The Schmo below:
