Jiu-jitsu standout Danielle Kelly signs with ONE Championship
Grappling ace Danielle Kelly hasn’t fought in mixed martial arts yet, but that is going to change.
Kelly, a 26-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt from Philadelphia, has signed with ONE Championship, she announced Friday in an Instagram post.
“I can’t put into words how much this means to me,” Kelly wrote. “I try my best to be the best I can be whether that’s on or off the mats. I love what ONE represents.”
First, Kelly will compete in grappling for ONE Championship before she eventually turns her attention to MMA. She has not given a timeline as to when her MMA debut will be.
Kelly entered the MMA spotlight when she twice competed in the crossover grappling series FURY Professional Grappling in 2021. After she earned a decision against Cathryn Millares, Kelly headlined FURY Grappling 3 against former UFC women’s strawweight champion Carla Esparza. The she won the bout when a clash of heads sliced open Esparza with a fight-ending gash.
Over the past few years, Kelly has competed in various grappling tournaments such as Quintet, FloGrappling WNO Championship, Rise Invitational, and UFC Fight Pass Invitational. She also holds grappling wins over MMA notables Roxanne Modafferi and Cynthia Calvillo.
Jiu-jitsu standout Danielle Kelly signs with ONE Championship
