Danielle Kelly is no stranger to the inevitable questions about transitioning into MMA along with her impressive jiu-jitsu credentials. It’s a natural desire for athletes and fans alike to see some of the best grapplers test out their skills against MMA fighters, and it has only been recently that any serious attention was given to grappling outside of BJJ tournaments. ONE Championship is making major efforts, however, to ensure that standout grapplers like Danielle Kelly can showcase their skills while also earning what they deserve financially. This shift in attention to one of the most important aspects of combat sports has been hugely beneficial both for those involved in grappling and MMA alike.
Kelly is a true trailblazer in the fight game, and her statements of admiration for Gordon and his achievements are testament to that. She has seen first-hand the dynamics of jiu-jitsu evolve, noting fondly its transformation from one without prize money to one where players can make a living off the sport. She doesn’t feel like she has been under pressure to try MMA, but it has been suggested as an option for her many times. Nonetheless, Kelly is excited about the future of jiu-jitsu and its journey towards being on a similar level as MMA in the next few years. It’s clear these are heady times ahead for the deeply committed practitioners of martial arts everywhere!
Kelly couldn’t be more pleased with the investment that promotion companies like ONE Championship are making in grapplers, as it has allowed her to focus solely on Brazilian jiu-jitsu. “I had these matches offered to me so I started doing well financially and the thought of MMA got pushed back,” she revealed. During her grappling career, Kelly has already had several high-profile bouts against other prominent MMA fighters – from Carla Esparza to Roxanne Modafferi and Cynthia Calvillo – and she’s eager for more opportunities to compete against big names in grappling.
Kelly has been very vocal about being able to perform in a jiu-jitsu match against big names like Angela Lee and the excitement that she could bring. She asked for her fight to be against Jessa Khan, feeling like this would show her skills of being able to submit jiu-jitsu people. Kelly believes that it doesn’t matter who the opponent is as long as they are entertaining; something she considers herself an expert of. Ultimately, she looks forward to potentially facing someone as accomplished as Lee someday, but due to mourning of Lee’s sister Victoria, this is not something Kelly is calling for right now.
Kelly is excited for the opportunity to compete along with another talented grappler on the platform that ONE Championship is giving her. She believes that grappling and women athletes in general can benefit from such a match-up, so she is open to exploring any option that will bring more attention to this area of combat sports. Kelly considers the potential bout with her opponent an excellent way to promote the skill and dedication of female martial artists, as it would get viewers around the world talking about what these fighters bring to the octagon. With a bit of luck and dedication, maybe this opportunity will be taken up in the future, making women’s grappling a truly global phenomenon.
