Danielle Kelly has been fighting to prove herself throughout her career, and she still has a chip on her shoulder ahead of her next ONE Championship outing. 

The ONE Women’s Atomweight Submission Grappling World Champion will put her belt on the line for the first time against eight-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion Mayssa Bastos at ONE Fight Night 24: Brooks vs. Balart on Friday, August 2, inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. 

Danielle Kelly is pumped up to fight Mayssa Bastos at ONE Fight Night 24

Given her opponent’s accomplishments, Kelly believes she is, once again, not the betting favorite to take the win. That could be insulting to a defending World Champion, but the American grappling star is using it as motivation.

“I just don’t think I get enough credit. I’m also a huge underdog, which I expected because she wins a lot of stuff at the lower divisions,” she said. 

“I think I’m going to be overlooked, and I can’t wait to prove people wrong.”

Kelly has been dominant in her four appearances so far in ONE. She has yet to lose in the world’s largest martial arts organization, and her win against Jessa Khan at ONE Fight Night 14 last September earned her the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight Submission Grappling World Title. 

However, there is little doubt that she will face her toughest test yet in Bastos. The Brazilian star has a whopping 115 victories against 12 losses on her professional slate. She has won multiple IBJJF World Titles in the gi and no-gi categories and is known as a generational talent. 

Bastos’ record can’t faze Kelly 

Bastos debuted in ONE Championship against Japan’s Kanae Yamada at ONE Fight Night 20 last March, and she showed that she was levels above her competition with a dominant performance. 

With so much hype and clout, Kelly thinks the onus to win will be on her decorated foe when they meet to contest the women’s atomweight submission grappling crown at ONE Fight Night 24. The Philadelphia native has a lot to gain from grabbing another win, and she plans to take all the smoke in their battle.

“I feel like there’s more pressure on her because when I beat her, it’s better for me. Because on paper, again, she’s way more accomplished than me. So as a grappler, I respect that,” Kelly said.