Singapore: Danielle Kelly made her One debut last weekend at One X, and her performance left many impressed.
The American took on veteran mixed martial artist Mei "VV" Yamaguchi in an atomweight submission grappling bout that displayed her tenacity and fight IQ at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
"I try to attack in every match. She is very tough. For the next one, I am going to prepare to make my finishes more precise," Kelly said.
Kelly and Yamaguchi's bout was the first-ever female grappling match for One Championship, and it was a fitting beginning made by two trailblazing athletes.
For her part, Kelly is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Karel "Silver Fox" Pravec and has fought against other great competitors such as Carla Esparza and Roxanne Modaffeiri.
Though she is only 26, she has made a name for herself in the realm of submission grappling and has her sights set on MMA in the near future.
On the other hand, Yamaguchi is an elite competitor, with experience in a multitude of martial arts including shootboxing, karate, jiu-jitsu, wrestling, and MMA.
The Japanese has more than 20 wins in MMA, nine of those coming by submission and two by knockout.
She has spent more than a decade in the sport and has faced the likes of One women's atomweight world champion Angela Lee.
With only 12 minutes to contest the submission grappling match at One X, the fight was fast-paced as both women searched for submissions.
Kelly spent the first minutes hand-fighting with her opponent, relentless in her bid to bring Yamaguchi down to the canvas.
The American was able to pull Yamaguchi into her guard and feverishly began attacking her adversary's arms. When that proved unsuccessful, Kelly spent the remainder of the match transitioning continuously as she hunted for multiple submissions.
While no victor was declared, Kelly earned a US$50,000 performance bonus for her efforts.
After receiving the first bonus of the evening, Kelly spoke as her eyes filled with tears of gratitude.
"I've worked so hard since I was like 10," the US fighter said.
"I just wish my parents were here to witness this, but I am so grateful for the support."