Danielle Kelly, ONE Championship’s most recent signing, has put pen to paper for her debut outing in the organization.
The American grappling sensation will meet veteran Mei Yamaguchi at ONE X in a grappling match on Saturday, March 26.
Kelly has quickly risen to stardom after lighting the BJJ world on fire in recent years. Now she will show the world what she is capable of on one of the year’s biggest events.
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Yamaguchi is known for her wrestling and top control in mixed martial arts. Her grappling skills led her to nine career submissions throughout her career. The 39-year-old has challenged for the ONE Atomweight World Championship on two separate occasions, although she came up just short against Angela Lee.
The bout will serve as a good introduction for the American, who steps onto the global stage with a lot of hype. Yamaguchi’s strength and wrestling will offer a challenge for the talented grappler and give her an opponent with name recognition to help build her star.
But it won’t be her first competition against notable mixed martial arts stars in grappling matches.
On the mat, Kelly holds wins over Roxanne Modafferi, Cynthia Calvillo, and Carla Esparza. Perhaps the most impressive of the lot was her 17-second submission over Calvillo in 2019.
The tenth-anniversary event continues to add incredible matchups showcasing each martial art. The event features mixed martial arts, grappling, kickboxing, and Muay Thai bouts. ONE X is loaded from top-to-bottom.
Kelly’s first bout in ONE will be a prime opportunity for the American to make a splash and signify the beginning of her ONE tenure in a huge way.
ONE X airs live on Saturday, March 26.
