Danielle Kelly says ONE Championship’s ruleset ensures grappling is not ‘boring’ to watch for casuals

ONE atomweight submission grappling world champion Danielle Kelly has competed in some of the world's most prestigious Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournaments.

But as far as the 27-year-old American is concerned, ONE Championship's unique grappling ruleset brings out the best in submission grappling.

The world's largest martial arts organization, of course, has brought the grappling-exclusive art to the limelight, along with its talent-stacked MMA, Muay Thai, and kickboxing divisions.

Kelly became the face of the promotion's women's grappling ranks when she took home 26 pounds of solid gold by beating rival Jessa Khan at ONE Fight Night 14 last September.

In a guest appearance on Brendan Schaub's Thicc Boy podcast, the Silver Fox BJJ product openly talked about how grappling has had a bad reputation among combat sports fans in the past for supposedly 'lacking action.'

“Casual MMA fans, you know when they are watching a jiu-jitsu match most times are probably like ‘Oh why are they still sitting on their butts, and they be like ‘just get up or this is boring’".

However, ONE Championship has ensured that both grappling aficionados and casual MMA fans will appreciate the true beauty of jiu-jitsu by showcasing its true essence. Kelly added:

“But to like a person like a jiu-jitsu hobbyist or competitor, you know, they understand what's going on so I feel with how ONE Championship with these matches they make you be more aggressive they make you stand up go for a takedown use the cage it makes it match exciting.”

Watch the full interview:

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Danielle Kelly's grappling repertoire continues to evolve

Danielle Kelly has always been a marvelous talent in the BJJ scene, but her skills have truly shone the most under the ONE banner.

Her mastery of grappling, whether in the ONE circle or ring, has set her apart, as we've seen in her masterful use of the cage walls against Khan.

Plus, her aggressive style and willingness to hunt for the finish as much as possible is perfect under ONE's ruleset, which rewards grapplers with the most legitimate submission attempts.