Danielle Kelly Gets Redemption, Beats Jessa Khan To Claim ONE Women’s Atomweight Submission Grappling World Title
In the first of three World Title bouts at ONE Fight Night 14: Stamp vs. Ham on Prime Video, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu star Danielle Kelly took home a hard-earned decision win over longtime rival Jessa Khan to capture the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight Submission Grappling World Title.
The two BJJ black belts locked horns live in U.S. primetime at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday, September 29, and wasted no time in exchanging their elite grappling techniques.
Kelly pressed the promotional newcomer into the Circle Wall early, forcing the 21-year-old IBJJF World Champion to jump to closed guard. From there, Khan attacked well, sweeping the Philadelphia-bred grappler and taking her back around the midway point of the 10-minute battle.
Despite the positional advantage, the Cambodian-American wasn’t able to mount any real submission offense on the back. Kelly quickly escaped the position and, in a scramble, jumped onto a combination kneebar and toehold attempt to secure the first catch of the match.
That opportunistic catch would ultimately prove to be the difference-maker. While Khan continued to attack from her guard for the remainder of the contest, Kelly’s defense and constant pressure looked impeccable down the home stretch.
Knowing she was down on the scorecards, the Cambodian-American picked up the pace. She feverishly hunted for a dominant position and looked for a leg lock of her own in the final seconds of the encounter. But ultimately, those efforts were not enough to secure a catch.
With the victory, the 27-year-old earned the biggest win of her impressive career.
Not only did Kelly avenge a 2021 defeat to Khan and grab her third straight victory in the world’s largest martial arts organization, but she also etched her name into the history books as the first-ever ONE Women’s Atomweight Submission Grappling World Champion.
