Danielle Kelly knows her place against Jessa Khan heading into matchup: “I’m definitely not the favorite”

Danielle Kelly plans to make a statement against Jessa Khan at ONE Fight Night 14.

Kelly has competed in several rematches throughout her submission grappling career, with the winner of the first match always winning for a second time. The 27-year-old American now has an opportunity to flip the script on that narrative later this week.

On Friday, September 29, the Silver Fox BJJ affiliate will face Jessa Khan for the inaugural ONE women’s atomweight submission grappling world title.

The world-class grapplers first met in February 2021, with Khan emerging victorious by decision.

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During an interview with MMA Mania, Danielle Kelly had this to say about her upcoming rematch at ONE Fight Night 14:

“I fought for ONE like three times already. This is her first match for the world title shot. So I’m definitely not the favorite, but you know when I beat her it's gonna put that legitimacy for the title, and that I basically beat a world champion.”

Danielle Kelly enters her world title match with two statement victories on the global stage. She became a BJJ superstar during this time while extending her resume with two US$50,000 performance bonuses.

Kelly’s last submission grappling match was on February 24. The American took on former strawweight MMA title challenger Ayaka Miura and emerged victorious by unanimous decision.

Meanwhile, Jessa Khan showcased her skills earlier this year by winning a gold medal at the 2023 IBJJF World Championships. She now looks to take over the ONE women’s atomweight submission grappling division, starting with a title win against Kelly on Friday.

Danielle Kelly vs. Jessa Khan is a significant contributor to the hype behind ONE Fight Night 14, which features three women’s world title fights.

The female-led event can be seen live and for free by North American viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription in U.S. primetime this Friday, September 29.

About the author

Jake Foley is a journalist at Sportskeeda, specializing in covering all forms of combat sports, including MMA, Boxing, Kickboxing, and Muay Thai. His passion is ignited by the exceptional fusion of physical and mental skills demanded by world-class fighters in these sports. Jake is captivated by the intricate mix of fierce determination and a modest mindset exhibited by athletes in these disciplines. He also finds the atmosphere of major championships, like the epic clash between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor, truly unparalleled.

Jake has earned his UFC credentials to cover the major events for Sportskeeda and has conducted several interviews.

Jake supports various teams across several professional sports, including the Las Vegas Raiders, Inter Miami, Norwich City, Miami Marlins, and Las Vegas Golden Knights. The sports moment Jake will never forget is Jon Jones dismantling Vladimir Matyushenko.

Since joining the SportsKeeda team, Jake has written 400 articles covering several MMA promotions, including the UFC and ONE Championship. He continues to work hard to maintain his journalistic integrity and tell the stories of fighters worldwide.

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Edited by Jigyanshushri Mahanta