Mayssa Bastos won the most prestigious prize of her grappling career this past weekend, and she plans on proving why she deserves it sooner rather than later. In the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 24 last Friday, August 2, the Brazilian superstar added the ONE Women’s Atomweight Submission Grappling World Title to her long list of accolades when she defeated former divisional queen Danielle Kelly via unanimous decision inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. 

The back-and-forth contest saw both women hunting for submissions, and each earned catches heading into the final minute of the 10-minute contest. It was there that Bastos managed to sneak in another catch, which ultimately gave her the edge on the scorecards.

Mayssa Bastos explains her mindset during the fight

During her post-fight interview with ONE commentator Mitch Chilson, Bastos shared what was going through her mind during the closing moments of the match. “I knew that she started the fight aggressively, so I was just trying to keep up my aggression as well,” she said. 

Kelly was tipped to have the advantage ahead of the World Title tilt, given that she had competed in ONE more than her foe and was more familiar with the promotion’s rule set. However, Bastos paid no attention to that prediction. She trusted her camp and implemented her game plan as best she could.  “I am always very confident with my preparations, staying ready. Of course, I was trying for the submission, and this time I was not able to get it. But I was trying to stay aggressive and hunt for that submission,” she said.  

Bastos won big at ONE Fight Night 24

The 26-year-old took the gold with her win and earned a cool US$50,000 performance bonus from ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong, which she was noticeably speechless about.  Bastos now has two wins to her name in ONE Championship, and she plans to stay active while defending the ONE Women’s Atomweight Submission Grappling World Title.

“I would like to stay here, fight as much as possible, and defend the belt,” she said. With her first bout against Kelly being so tight, there is a very good chance that a rematch may be first on the Brazilian’s plate.

The American took to social media following ONE Fight Night 24 to express her disappointment with the result. So fans should watch this space to see what happens next in the ever-growing women’s atomweight submission grappling division.