Danielle Kelly Not Rushing To Make MMA Debut Just Yet

Grappling star Danielle Kelly once again proved her weight in gold after pulling off the unanimous decision victory over Japanese star Ayaka Miura at ONE Fight Night 7 on Saturday, February 24 (Friday, February 25 in the U.S.).

However, she has no desire to rush her transition to mixed martial arts (MMA).

Speaking to the media following the grappling bout with Miura, Kelly had the following to say to those wanting to see her try her hand at MMA.

“I’m not pressured to do MMA right now. I want to accomplish something in jiujitsu first, put my name out there and then I’ll talk to my team and coaches whenever I want to fight [in MMA], but right now it’s just jiujitsu,” Kelly remarked.

Entering her bout with Miura, Kelly faced an uphill battle as the former had applied third-degree judo black belt in the throes of MMA, which she used to defeat the likes of Laura Balin, Samara Santos and Maira Mazar.

Despite fans claiming that Miura’s fighting style was easily predictable as she was almost always going to go for the “Ayaka Lock” (scarf hold armlock), Kelly was more than happy to go toe-to-toe with her.

Kelly saw herself in multiple dire situations throughout the bout as Miura threatened to lock in her patented submission maneuver but always found a way to get out of it with great use of her own experiences.

The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-born grappler’s best maneuver throughout the bout was a rear-naked choke attempt that left Miura scrambling as best she can until the bell rang.

When it was all said and done, the judges awarded the victory to Kelly as she mounted a come-from-behind performance against the established veteran.

“All my training partners are mostly heavier than me, but it’s really different because you’re in the Circle or ring. Her strength is her judo background. She’s really good at what she does, but I kept countering and attacking her,” Kelly said about rolling with Miura.

As for who is next on her plate, Kelly called out Mexican-American Jessa Khan during her post-fight interview and even doubled down on it during the press conference.

“I really want that one back, that’s all I can say. I also want to prove myself that I belong here and I’m gonna win that title,” she remarked.

Khan pulled off the decision victory over Kelly during their February 26, 2021 encounter under the Who’s Number One (WNO) umbrella.

It is worth noting that Khan had signed with ONE Championship in May 2022, but she is yet to compete under the Singapore-based combat sports promotion after her debut bout against Amanda Alequin in July 2022 fell through.

With Kelly adding another win under her belt and her eyes on potentially facing someone for the inaugural women’s grappling belt, it would not be a surprise for the organization to pull the trigger and book Kelly vs. Khan for the big bout.