3 Reasons Why BJJ Superstar Jessa Khan Is One Of The World’s Most Dangerous Grapplers
Fresh off a spectacular gold-medal performance at the IBJJF World Championships, elite Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Jessa Khan will soon vie for the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight Submission Grappling World Title.
On September 29 at ONE Fight Night 14 on Prime Video, the 21-year-old phenom will square off with American sensation Danielle Kelly in a massive U.S. primetime matchup that has fans of world-class BJJ salivating.
While Kelly boasts an impressive undefeated record in ONE submission grappling bouts, Khan comes into this World Title showdown making her promotional debut.
Naturally, fans are dying to know more about the Cambodian-American phenom who’s taken the grappling world by storm. Here are three reasons why Khan is such a dangerous ground fighter.
#1 Her Guard Is Nearly Unpassable
With incredible dexterity, flexibility, and a knack for finding even the smallest of openings, Khan owns one of the planet’s best guards.
Training under BJJ icons Guilherme and Rafael Mendes at the famed Art of Jiu-Jitsu, she has developed an open guard game that emphasizes constant aggression as well as opportunistic attacks.
Notably, Khan’s guard has almost never been passed in black belt competition – an impressive feat considering she’s been grappling against world-class competitors ever since she was awarded the rank back in 2020.
#2 She’s An Armbar Master
The Art of Jiu-Jitsu representative isn’t just defensive from her guard. Quite the opposite – she’s an attack-oriented grappler who loves to hunt for the armbar from a variety of positions.
While her record shows a variety of submission wins – including heel hook, triangle, and rear-naked choke – Khan’s most powerful and best submission is the classic armbar.
As proof, a number of her biggest victories have come from this elbow-snapping submission, including triumphs over fellow BJJ World Champions Pati Fontes and Sofia Amarante.
#3 She’s Riding A Wave Of Momentum
The 21-year-old comes into her ONE debut just months after the best performance of her career, and a confident grappler is always dangerous.
Khan enjoyed an unforgettable breakout performance at the 2023 IBJJF World Championships – the most prestigious gi jiu-jitsu tournament in the sport.
Not only did she take home gold in the loaded roosterweight division, but she did so in style, defeating four opponents – including two by her trademark armbar – and won the final in arguably the most exciting match of the entire event.
That run proved what many had long believed: Khan is an incredible talent destined to achieve big things. On September 29, she’ll look to build on that outing and capture 26 pounds of ONE Championship gold against Kelly.
