Danielle Kelly’s technical prowess has been on full display in her first two outings inside the ONE Championship Circle. And the American grappler is eyeing another impressive performance when she returns at ONE Fight Night 7: Lineker vs. Andrade II on Prime Video on February 24.

That evening, Kelly faces off against Ayaka “Zombie” Miura in a 119-pound catchweight submission grappling battle, and another victory may strengthen her case to compete for the inaugural ONE Atomweight Submission Grappling World Title at some point in the future – something the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu phenom is ultimately aiming for. “I want to win that women’s title for 115, for sure,” she shared.

Danielle Kelly might have her toughest challenge in the bout against Miura

The Silver Fox BJJ representative put in a solid performance against Mei “V.V.” Yamaguchi in her debut last March and followed that up by scoring a finish over Mariia Molchanova in November. But her upcoming opponent may well represent the biggest challenge Kelly has faced thus far in the Circle.

Japanese judoka sensation Miura is known for her excellent takedowns and intense top game, and she knows how to play her cards right from her opponent’s guard. This could cause problems for the Philadelphia native, who likes to utilize a guard-heavy game plan in her matches.

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To minimize Miura’s offensive threat, Kelly has started incorporating more wrestling drills into her training camp. And she believes this might make a difference on fight night.

Kelly predicted an exciting bout with a choke-out victory over her opponent

“I’ve been working on my wrestling. I’m trying to get back to that because I used to wrestle a lot. I don’t want to be just a guard puller. So if I go against her, I think it’d be a fun match,” the 27-year-old said. “Because I know she’s a judo black belt. I think she does a lot of takedowns for MMA fights. So yeah, we’re figuring out her game.”

Despite having respect for her opponent’s strengths, Kelly remains confident of one thing – that she’ll add another emphatic finish to her slate on February 24. Whether it comes through her world-renowned leg locks or a choke, the American upstart is ready to start her 2023 campaign with a bang.

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“I’ll be submitting her. I would like to get a choke. I think leglocks are starting to be overrated. But I mean, if I get a leg lock, then I’ll just go for it. But I don’t want to just have tunnel vision on it,” Kelly said.