Danielle Kelly says massive win over rival Jessa Khan puts her on the map: “This is really affirming”

Newly crowned ONE atomweight submission grappling world champion Danielle Kelly views her latest feat as not just a championship-clinching victory, but a reaffirmation of her as a fighter.

The 27-year-old Silver Fox BJJ standout defeated longtime rival Jessa Khan by unanimous decision at ONE Fight Night 14 on Prime Video on September 29 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

She had to go through the wringer as her 21-year-old opponent did not go down without a fight. But Philadelphia pride Kelly stayed the course and persisted throughout the 10-minute clash to earn the judges’ nod in the end.

In an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer, Danielle Kelly relayed how she is proud of her latest victory as it is a testament to her drive and passion as a martial artist, saying:

“Beating someone like her definitely puts me on the map. Not that I wasn’t respected before; everyone has wins and losses. But I never had stuff handed to me, so something like this is really affirming.”

The win was also a form of a payback of Danielle Kelly to Jessa Khan, who defeated her by decision in their first encounter in February 2021 at a no-gi event outside of ONE Championship in the United States.

In the lead-up to ONE Fight Night 14, she said that her previous loss to Cambodian-American Khan served as a big motivation for her to come back a better fighter in their rematch.

Danielle Kelly remains unbeaten in four matches under ONE Championship so far. In her promotional debut in March last year, she settled for a draw against Japanese Mei Yamaguchi.

ONE Fight Night 14 was the debut outing of Jessa Khan in the promotion. Entering the contest, she was fresh from winning a gold medal at the 2023 IBJJF World Championship.

The replay of ONE Fight Night 14 is available anytime on demand for Amazon Prime Video subscribers in the U.S. and Canada.