“I should’ve just gone out there” - Danielle Kelly regrets giving Mayssa Bastos too much respect in first fight

Former ONE women's atomweight submission grappling world champion Danielle Kelly of the United States admits she made some very critical errors in her first meeting with new titleholder Mayssa Bastos.

The most important mistake of all was giving the Brazilian star too much respect. In their upcoming rematch, Kelly promises to showcase her absolute best in a bid to reclaim her lost gold.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Kelly had this to say about the first Bastos fight:

"I should’ve just gone out there and just not cared who she is, just go out there and attack."

Kelly and Bastos initially battled it out at ONE Fight Night 24 last August, where the Brazilian star went on to score a unanimous decision victory over the American to capture the ONE women's atomweight submission grappling world title.

Heading into that fight, Bastos was riding an impressive pedigree, having built a reputation as one of the most accomplished submission grapplers in the world. But Kelly had the ONE Championship belt over her shoulders, and was full of confidence.

However, the American failed to deliver the goods in their match and was uncharacteristically defensive, which ultimately led to her downfall. Now, the 28-year-old Silver Fox BJJ product is out for revenge.

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Danielle Kelly runs it back with Mayssa Bastos with ONE Championship gold on the line at ONE Fight Night 26 on Prime Video

28-year-old American star Danielle Kelly is set to rematch Brazil's Mayssa Bastos for the ONE women's atomweight submission grappling world title.

The two lock horns in the co-main event at ONE Fight Night 26: Lee vs. Rasulov on Prime Video, which broadcasts live in U.S. primetime on Friday, December 6 from the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription. Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding the event as it happens.