Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace Danielle Kelly has big dreams inside the ONE Circle this year, and she will let nothing stand in her way of success. After inking a deal with ONE Championship in February last year, Kelly enjoyed two flashy fights that showcased why she is one of the most highly regarded grapplers in the sport today. 

In her debut, the American star squared off against MMA veteran and grappling specialist Mei “V.V” Yamaguchi. Though that match ended in a draw, Kelly’s constant submission threats and intense pressure on the canvas won the audience’s attention and earned her a cool US$50,000 performance bonus.

She returned to the Circle this past November, eager to register her first promotional win. Staying true to her pre-fight promise, she barely broke a sweat on her way to a sumptuous rear-naked choke victory against Sambo World Champion Mariia Molchanova.

Danielle Kelly revealed her possible future plans on her Instagram

Kelly hopes to bring that same fire to her sophomore year in ONE, which kicks off when she meets Judo superstar Ayaka Miura in a submission grappling firefight at ONE Fight Night 7: Lineker vs. Andrade II on February 10.

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Just two days ago, she took to Instagram with a post that read:

“These past few years I learned if you’re at the top or going to the top you have to realize people want you to fail. That’s the name of the game. especially for a female athlete in the sport if you’re successful. Work hard in silence and shut up the doubters. 2023 views.”

While it may not be clear what her goals are from her social media post, the 27-year-old has hinted at what she wants to do on multiple occasions.

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Firstly, the BJJ black belt wants to test her skills in MMA this year. She has also said that she has her eyes on a submission grappling match with ONE Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee.

Danielle Kelly gave a befitting reply to Angela Lee intending to take her on

The two have expressed interest in meeting each other over the past couple of months. Kelly stated she would love to share the Circle with the longtime divisional queen, and Lee responded by saying she would have no issue tapping the American out.

“I see it ending in me submitting her. For me, I mean, I’ve been fighting for a while now. And obviously, you hope for the best-case scenario. But one thing that I trust in myself is I always get the job done – and it doesn’t matter what amount of time it’ll take, but [it will] definitely [happen] before the round end,” Lee said. 

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That did not sit well with Kelly, who replied by warning the Singaporean-American athlete that she will be ready whenever they cross paths.

Whatever comes her way in the next 12 months, 2023 is set to be a big year for the grappling star.