“Other Jiu-Jitsu People Kind of Struggled” – Danielle Kelly Counting on Her Cage Experience as a Key to Triumph Over Jessa Khan

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu superstar Danielle Kelly is determined to make the most of every advantage in her highly anticipated showdown with fellow BJJ black belt Jessa Khan, scheduled for this Friday in one of the co-main events of ONE Fight Night 14: Stamp vs. Ham on Prime Video.

This massive matchup, set to be broadcast live in U.S. primetime from the Singapore Indoor Stadium, will determine the first-ever ONE Atomweight Submission Grappling World Champion.

Danielle Kelly looking to use her experience in the cage as an advantage over Jessa Khan

For Kelly, it’s not just an opportunity to claim 26 pounds of gold but also to cement her status as one of the planet’s premier ground fighters. While the 27-year-old boasts a 3-0 record in ONE submission grappling contests against elite grapplers from the MMA, sambo, and judo disciplines, she has yet to face an elite BJJ competitor in the organization. In contrast, Khan is the current IBJJF World Champion, representing the pinnacle of the BJJ world.

Kelly believes that a victory on Friday night would erase any doubts about her belonging among the world’s top grapplers: “I feel really grateful and honored that I have the opportunity to go for the title. I feel like I worked really hard for it. I feel like, you know, this is my time to really prove myself and stamp my jiu-jitsu accomplishments, and prove that I really belong here.” Kelly and Khan have crossed paths before. They first faced off in a submission-only match in 2021 outside of ONE, with Khan securing a hard-fought decision.

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Now, two years later, Kelly believes her experience competing in the Circle, where she has used the cage wall to her advantage, will give her a slight edge over her opponent, who is making her debut in the organization: “I really like to stay humble. I have experience for sure, but I don’t wanna be like, you know, I have this advantage, that I can do this and that. But I think maybe a small percentage of this match is going to play a part of me being experienced in the cage.”

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The Philadelphia native points to another BJJ standout – reigning ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion Mikey Musumeci – as someone who has effectively utilized the Circle wall. Like Musumeci, Kelly has adapted her grappling style to incorporate the cage. This factor could be the deciding factor in whether she leaves Singapore empty-handed or with a ONE World Title wrapped around her waist.

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She added: “I actually like competing in the cage, and I feel like very few people, like Mikey, use the cage really well, and he’s been really dominant. But other jiu-jitsu people kind of struggled. I don’t need to name names, but I noticed their game was kind of conflicted with the cage. But they still did really well. But, you know, I think the wall and ring and cage kind of play a factor in the match, so I think I have a small advantage over her in that aspect.”