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Danielle Kelly is used to adapting to her opponents' specific skill sets, and that was no different in her contest at ONE Fight Night 7.
Facing former MMA world title challenger and judo specialist Ayaka Miura, Kelly extensively worked on how she could negate her opponent’s biggest strengths.
Miura is known for her patented 'Ayaka lock' that she sets up with her judo throws into a headlock position.
Danielle Kelly found herself in this exact position several times during their contest but was able to defend the submission threat that Miura has pulled off in all of her wins inside the circle.
Following the event, Danielle Kelly said in an interview with ONE Championship:
“I was engaging the whole time, and she kept stepping away because my ground game was better. She kept getting that headlock with the armbar, but me and my coaches, we just kept doing that position. I'm putting myself in the same position that she's really good at.”
Kelly’s preparations in familiarizing herself with that position paid off massively for her as she was awarded the win. Whilst Miura may not have been able to threaten with many other techniques, she is such a specialist in the 'Ayaka lock' that once she is able to secure it, most opponents find themselves tapping shortly after.
Danielle Kelly is “proud” of her performance against the much heavier Ayaka Miura
Whilst Danielle Kelly may have left the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok with another win under her belt, it was another tough test for the 27-year-old American.
Facing off against Ayaka Miura, Kelly was doubted by many during the build-up to their fight because of Miura’s grappling credentials, despite the fact that this would be 'Zombie's' first foray into ONE’s submission grappling ruleset.
On top of Miura’s judo background, her size also played a big part in the contest, with the Japanese fighter being the physically bigger competitor inside the circle.
In her post-fight interview after having her hand raised, Kelly said:
"I'm proud of it. I'm literally 10-15 pounds lighter than her. I agreed to fight at catchweight with her, and she's really good, really strong."
Reflecting on ONE Fight Night 7, Danielle Kelly posted on her Instagram where she spoke about the experience and what she learned from the contest:
"Got the win tonight! Against a skilled opponent. I really had to dig through this one. Many people can say what they want but anytime I was in a bad spot, I escaped and attacked."
Kelly made reference in her post to the fact that many believed that the contest could have been awarded to her opponent. As she points out, Kelly was the one pressing the action for much of the bout and was declared the winner due to her output and aggression.
