Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu star Danielle Kelly has just soared to new heights in the world of martial arts. Kelly revealed on Friday, 18 February, that she has officially signed a deal with ONE Championship to compete in submission grappling matches while she prepares for an eventual debut in MMA – which will also take place in ONE.
The 25-year-old BJJ black belt added that she’ll be training out of Evolve MMA in Singapore, home to some of the biggest names in the organization.
Posting on Instagram, Kelly said:
“Happy to announce I am officially a @onechampionship athlete. I am also proud to be apart of @evolvemma. I’ll be doing grappling bouts under them and when I’m ready to do MMA they’ll be the promotion I’ll fight under.”
Over the past decade, ONE has thrilled fans by not only showcasing top-class mixed martial arts bouts, but also fights in other disciplines, such as Muay Thai, kickboxing, and, of course, submission grappling.
In May 2017, ONE made history when it included a submission grappling contest at ONE: DYNASTY OF HEROES. There, Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki took on Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon in a grappling super-fight, and Tonon submitted Aoki with a heel hook.
With Kelly’s arrival – alongside the recent influx of superstar grapplers like Gordon Ryan, Andre Galvao, and Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida – it won’t be long before another ONE submission grappling match makes headlines. (One Championship)
(Photo credits to: Jiu-Jitsu Times)