'%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,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
On March 26, at ONE Championship's biggest event ever, ONE X, grappling phenom Danielle Kelly made her much-awaited debut in the promotion. The jiu-jitsu rising star squared off against MMA veteran Mei Yamaguchi in a submission grappling match.
Trending
Although Kelly was constantly hunting for submissions and dominating positions the entire time, the match ended in a draw. Since no submissions were scored nor was there any points system applied, the match had no winner. Nevertheless, ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong found the American grappler's tenacity in the cage worthy of a $50,000 performance bonus.
Another submission grappling match also took place at ONE X. Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend and multi-time world champion Andre Galvão fought ONE double champ Reinier 'The Dutch Knight' de Ridder. Much like Kelly, Galvão constantly put de Ridder on the defensive but failed to score a submission.
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Kelly ruminated on the idea that she was part of the same event as a legend of her sport like Galvão:
"I'm on the same card with [Andre] Galvão, and he's been doing it since before I started. I was like, 'wait, I used to watch this guy when I was like, 10 years-old. And he was like, super skinny, he was just a kid, and he was competing against the best. So it kind of took a little bit of you know, 'I'm really here. This is where I belong.'"
It's remarkable to see that champions like Galvão have inspired kids to excel in his sport. His greatness is so influential that he finds himself sharing the spotlight with the kids he's inspired. This is a sign of a true legend of the sport.
Watch Kelly's full interview here:
"I think it's just kind of ring rust" - Danielle Kelly on Andre Galvão's performance at ONE X
Speaking of ONE X, both of the event's grappling matches ended in a draw. In the interview, Kelly provided a very candid take on the grappling superfight between Andre Galvão and Reinier de Ridder. Despite being a fan of the Brazilian legend, Kelly called the match as she saw it:
"If I heard correctly, his last match [before ONE X] was the ADCC one, with this guy Felipe [Pena], so I guess, that's probably somewhere in 2019, 2018? I mean, I think at this point, he was just really nervous. He said in his interview that he got all tired."
Kelly went on to provide more perspective on the match:
"And he's also almost 40 years old, so, what can you expect from that guy? I still think that he held his own against someone who's very seasoned. So I have nothing really bad to say. I think it's just kind of ring rust."
Despite criticism from fellow grapplers, namely Gordon Ryan, Andre Galvão made a strong showing and represented his sport on the world stage. If Kelly's assessment is true, then Galvão just needs more time to prepare and get back into the championship mindset that made him famous.
