This year, Mayssa Bastos made her successful ONE Championship debut with a victory over Kanae Yamada. Now, she sets her sights on another mission: dethroning the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight Submission Grappling World Champion, Danielle Kelly. Their title fight is scheduled for ONE Fight Night 24: Brooks vs. Balart on Friday, August 2nd at the iconic Lumpinee Stadium, airing live in US primetime. Meanwhile, in a recent interview, Brazilian phenom Mayssa Bastos hinted at her strategy for defeating Danielle Kelly.

Mayssa Bastos’ debut win at ONE Fight Night 20 – paired with her body of work in the grappling world – earned her a shot at Danielle Kelly’s title. Despite Kelly’s advantage in ONE Championship experience, Bastos boasts an amazing 115-win record outside the organization. Vowing to repeat her past success, Bastos revealed her plan in a recent ONE Championship interview: “The fight will end in submission,” she declared. “At least that will be my goal from start to finish.”

If Mayssa Bastos successfully executes her plan against Kelly in the upcoming ONE world title fight, the win will propel her stardom to another level. As Bastos acknowledged in her previous interview, winning the ONE Women’s Atomweight Submission Grappling World Title will allow her to showcase her skills to a global audience, thanks to ONE Championship’s vast reach.

Recognizing Mayssa Bastos’ accomplishments in submission grappling, Danielle Kelly recently acknowledged her underdog status among fans in an interview with the promotion. However, she vowed to prove them wrong.

Danielle Kelly embraces the underdog role

Riding a three-fight win streak within the promotion, Danielle Kelly finds herself in underdog territory despite her success. Her opponent, Mayssa Bastos, has only one fight inside the promotion, but her dominance in her weight class outside the promotion casts a long shadow over Kelly’s achievements.

In a recent interview with ONE Championship, Danielle Kelly expressed frustration at being overlooked, stating, “I just don’t get enough credit. I’m also a huge underdog, which I expected because she wins a lot of stuff at the lower divisions.” Kelly remains undeterred, adding, “I think I’m going to be overlooked, and I can’t wait to prove people wrong.”

Now, all eyes are on the upcoming ONE Fight Night 24: Brooks vs. Balart, where the future of submission grappling takes center stage. Danielle Kelly and Mayssa Bastos, two of the most promising young grapplers in the world, will clash for the ONE Women’s Atomweight Submission Grappling World Championship. Whose side are you on? Share your prediction in the comments below.