"A happy young fighter" - Danielle Kelly is all smiles in her gi

Grappling sensation Danielle Kelly recently took to Instagram to post a picture of herself with the caption:

"A happy young fighter."

Back in February, Kelly announced that she had signed with ONE Championship. The goal was simple: a transition into mixed martial arts once she was prepared. Until then, Kelly will continue to compete in submission grappling bouts under the ONE label.

Over the years, Danielle Kelly has made her presence known in multiple grappling tournaments including Quintet, FloGrappling WNO Championship, Rise Invitational, and the UFC Fight Pass Invitational. The spotlight began beaming down on Kelly after competing for FURY Professional Grappling in 2021. In those competitions, Kelly earned victories over Cathryn Millares and current UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza. Kelly also holds submission grappling victories over UFC notables Roxanne Modafferi and Cynthia Calvillo.

Danielle Kelly made her ONE debut at ONE X in March and met Japanese legend Mei Yamaguchi in a submission grappling match. While Kelly failed to land a submission on Yamaguchi, her performance was impressive. So impressive that ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong awarded her a $50,000 performance bonus.

“I wasn’t expecting [the bonus] all,” Kelly told the South China Morning Post. “So when [commentator Mitch Chilson] announced it to me, I was like ‘wait, did he just say what I think he just said?’ I took it in. I started to cry. I got really emotional. I put in the time, I put in the work for all these years, I was putting in matches where I would make two hundred dollars in a small gymnasium. To be acknowledged for my work on such a big stage, it’s meant a lot to me.”

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Danielle Kelly hopes to face ONE champion Angela Lee in the future

Danielle Kelly hopes to keep the momentum of her debut going. After seeing an impressive rear-naked choke by Anglea Lee to defeat Stamp Fairtex at ONE X, Kelly is interested in facing the reigning champion in a submission grappling bout.

“I saw Angela Lee pull off a really good Twister attempt [at ONE X],” she said. “I’ve been working on those, I love those, so it would be cool to have a match-up with her. She’s been fighting and grappling for awhile. She’s a black belt as well.”

Another possibility is a grappling bout with Michelle Nicolini, a decorated BJJ practitioner who has earned five submission victories over six MMA wins.

“I see a lot people tagging me and Michelle Nicolini [in posts],” she said. “If she makes 115 [pounds], I would love to go against Michelle Nicolini. She’s a superstar as well in the grappling world. A veteran.”