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Perhaps the last thing one would assume about ONE Championship's Danielle Kelly is that she can choke anyone unconscious in less than 10 seconds. The jiu-jitsu rising star has the look of your favorite Instagram model and the skills of a world-class grappler.
In a sport built on the idea of overcoming another person in physical combat, perhaps the last thing that would matter is how you look. It doesn't hurt, however, if you're easy on the eyes like Kelly.
It's like the Ronda Rousey phenomenon. It's the perfect combination of superstar looks and world-class skills. The American grappler is pulling a lot of casuals and non-grappling fans into the sport with her gorgeous looks and unbelievable tenacity on the mats.
In a recent photo posted by Kelly on Instagram, the Evolve Fight Team grappler showed her supermodel looks that are a rarity in any sport. In the caption, she wrote:
"Rarely ever wear makeup so I had to take a “few” selfies😏👸🏻"
Danielle Kelly wins a $50,000 performance bonus on her ONE Championship debut
As part of the unforgettable martial event, ONE X, Danielle Kelly made her ONE Championship debut against MMA veteran Mei Yamaguchi. The two fought in a 12-minute submission-only grappling match.
The match went the distance and since no one scored a submission, it ended in a draw. However, Kelly showed tenacity and aggression inside the cage, prompting ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong to award her a $50K bonus.
In her post-fight interview with Sportskeeda MMA, the prodigious grappler expressed her feelings about her performance and the ONE Championship bonus she received for it:
"I'm doing jiu-jitsu for now, so I was not expecting that! Usually that's expected in MMA for an amazing performance. No, I was not expecting that. I was just expecting to come here and do my thing and have fun with it."
On how the match went, this was what Kelly had to say:
"She [Yamaguchi] kept my head position in the cage so I wouldn't move my hips, got the position the first time, got the armbar, was cranking it. I'm surprised she didn't tap to that. When I saw her and Angela's match, she just didn't want to tap to armbar, I was like alright. She had really good posture, was really strong. Need to work on my finishing mechanics."
If Kelly can win a bonus without even winning a match, you can expect more exciting grappling matches from her in the future. ONE Championship has tweaked the rules of their submission grappling matches where one can win with the most number of submission attempts when the time expires. With that said, expect a more aggressive and dynamic Kelly in her second outing.
