'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAYACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABdAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABQgQAAICAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEDAgQREgAFISIBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIEEQACAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMRACGRsf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8AxZav9UOu6pC6gDK1GwlzCpcjMumN8bZyIgfBPKSuyrzXCS5s0lEGO1ZG2CPM+H3jjl0M0kFhKAJ3ag+4EUSoGbZ5n//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
ONE women’s submission grappling superstar Danielle Kelly is now used to the exposure that comes with her growing fame.
However, the self-confessed introvert admitted she wasn’t exactly as comfortable with the limelight, especially when she first joined the world’s largest martial arts organization last year.
Speaking to ONE Championship ahead of her women’s atomweight submission grappling clash with Ayaka Miura at ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video on February 10, Kelly opened up about feeling like a deer in the headlights in the build-up to his ONE debut. She shared:
“The second time was much easier, a little bit. But yeah the first time, you know, being in front of a lot of people, talking and everything. It took me a while, well not a while, but I think you know when I signed with ONE and then I had a match right away.”
All eyes were on Danielle Kelly when she matched up against proven veteran Mei Yamaguchi at ONE X. While the American was quite timid during interviews and the press conference, her performance was anything but come fight night.
The match may have ended in a draw since neither combatant got the submission, but it was clear that Kelly truly won in the eyes of fans and pundits. After getting that nerve-racking debut out of the way, the 27-year-old was visibly more confident in her sophomore showing against Mariia Molchanova.
This time around, the Silver Fox BJJ representative carried herself better during her pre-fight obligations. That confidence also translated inside the circle, as she imposed her will against the sambo specialist and collected another $50,000 performance bonus after submitting Molchanova with a rear-naked choke.
After learning the ropes in 2022, we can all expect even bigger things for Danielle Kelly in ONE Championship this year.
Danielle Kelly says nerves affected her performance in ONE debut
Danielle Kelly comes from the new breed of submission grappling savants who always hunt for the finish one way or another.
As such, she was extremely disappointed when she was unable to put away Mei Yamaguchi in her debut match.
Although she clearly dominated and outclassed her fellow black belt, the American wanted to leave a great first impression on ONE fans with a slick submission finish.
She told ONE Championship:
“So having a month to prepare like right now, with my last match I did an eight to nine-week training camp for that last fight. But for the Mei [Yamaguchi] match it was almost less than a month so it was a little different, I was definitely nervous but yeah I think it was an overall good experience.”
Having ample time to prepare certainly paid dividends for Kelly, as she put on a masterclass against Molchanova.
For sure, she’ll want to top that performance with another submission victory against Miura.
