Danielle Kelly has different game plan ready for Mayssa Bastos ahead of ONE Fight Night 26 rematch 

In any sporting outlet, the biggest obstacle that fighters must overcome is often their own minds. Former ONE Women’s Atomweight Submission Grappling World Champion Danielle Kelly knows this to be true.  

Having adjusted her mentality, the American plans to recapture the weight bracket’s gold from current queen Mayssa Bastos in their pivotal rematch at ONE Fight Night 26: Lee vs. Rasulov, which airs on Friday, December 6, from inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium.  

Analyzing their first meeting in August, Kelly believes she gave the Brazilian too much respect. In turn, it faltered her own performance. But she’s learned from those errors and plans to show her true self this weekend. 

“I was kinda giving her too much credit, which she deserves. I kinda put myself in a negative position where I was like, “Oh, man, she’s this and that.” When I should’ve just gone out there and just not care who she is [and] just go out there and attack,” she said. 

“That’s what I did with Jessa [Khan]. When she took my back, I was calm. I knew she was not gonna submit me. I had the same mindset with Mayssa, but for some reason, I just couldn’t click things together.” 

Danielle Kelly sees openings to submit Mayssa Bastos

Former ONE Women’s Atomweight Submission Grappling World Champion Danielle Kelly believes the second time will be the charm against newly minted queen Mayssa Bastos this weekend. 

Kelly rose to stardom in ONE to become the inaugural champ. But her reign was over before it had even begun. Ahead of the rematch, the Silver Fox BJJ star has done her homework, and she sees many ways to topple the Brazilian at ONE Fight Night 26. 

“She’s definitely beatable and submittable. Even just watching her ADCC match, she went against the girl that’s kind of our weight class, I think, but she’s won everything,” Kelly said. 

“And I felt like she was even hesitant to attack, but it’s a different rule set. So when it’s a different rule set, people play a different game.”