ONE Women’s Atomweight Submission Grappling World Champion Danielle Kelly is out to cement her reign when she takes on one of the best grapplers of her generation in her upcoming outing.

In the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 24: Brooks vs. Balart on Friday, August 2, Kelly is set to defend her belt for the first time against multiple-time BJJ World Champion Mayssa Bastos inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Danielle Kelly’s determination to prove her dominance

While she holds the gold in this matchup, the American star believes she will still have a lot to prove when she goes into battle next weekend. After all, the challenger has a 115-12 professional record, and many expect her to have the advantage on the mats.

In an interview with ONE, Kelly discussed what she’s hoping to do when she takes to the ring against Bastos next weekend. “I want to prove that I’m the best 115-pound grappler by beating Mayssa Bastos. I want to be the best 115 grappler of all time. That’s my goal. And I think having that mindset has definitely made me a different person,” she said.

She further added “You know, I don’t want to settle for less. I think settling for less is for the weak. I am not a weak person, and I can’t wait to prove that against Mayssa Bastos.”

A clash of submission grappling titans

Bastos has long been considered the best grappler in the game in the lighter divisions, and her record backs up that belief. The Brazilian made her ONE Championship debut at ONE Fight Night 20 this past March and made short work of Japan’s Kanae Yamada to show she can thrive under the promotion’s submission-only rule set.

Her World Title tussle at ONE Fight Night 24 will stand as the perfect chance to take control of the atomweight submission grappling division, so fans can bet Bastos won’t waste it. Of course, Kelly is no slouch herself. She is undefeated in four outings in the world’s largest martial arts organization and has locked horns with former MMA World Title challengers Mei Yamaguchi and Ayaka Miura.

The Philadelphia native’s last outing at ONE Fight Night 14 last September saw her defeat IBJJF World Champion Jessa Khan to claim the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomwight Submission Grappling World Title. Her dominant run and comfort level with ONE’s submission grappling rules suggest Kelly could give Bastos the toughest test she has ever faced when they meet on August 2.