ONE In The Media

When Stamp Fairtex competes for the interim ONE Championship atomweight title on Friday, she does so with the uncertainty of whether she’ll ever get an opportunity to unify the belt.

Competitive grappling has changed a ton in recent years. Now, more than ever, athletes are able to make money competing, as there’s a bigger appetite for the sport and there are many opportunities for grapplers.

Danielle Kelly, one of the most popular female grapplers today, is one of several top jiu-jitsu athletes who have chosen to sign with combat sports promotion ONE Championship. These deals are exclusive, making it an interesting choice given the many options in promotions today.

Danielle Kelly has been overlooked for the majority of her career. She seeks to put an end to that narrative tomorrow at ONE Fight Night 14 on Prime Video.

Kelly is expected to lose to Jessa Khan in a bout for the inaugural ONE Championship women’s atomweight submission grappling championship. Yet she has altogether different plans.

On Sept. 29, live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium, ONE Championship will crown its inaugural Atomweight Submission Grappling World Champion at ONE Fight Night 14, when Danielle Kelly takes on Jessa Khan during an all-female card set to be broadcast live on Prime Video.

Here, in an exclusive interview with M&F, Kelly opens up about her challenging start in grappling, the intense training that she undergoes, and a “weird” meditation technique that relaxes her at the end of each demanding day.

Danielle Kelly, with the help of her parents, eventually found a coach who encouraged her to get into grappling — that way, she could defend herself, even when taken down. That skill set helped her tremendously before she ever stepped in a competitive ring.

For mixed martial arts (MMA) champion Angela Lee, the pain of losing her younger sister Victoria remains raw. Aged 18, Victoria took her own life on Dec 26, 2022.

Mental health is a subject close to Lee’s heart. Last week, the 27-year-old revealed that her car crash in Hawaii in 2017 was a suicide attempt and not an accident.

In the rough and tumble world of mixed martial arts (MMA), fighters often seem unbreakable and invincible – mean machines who push their bodies to the limits in the pursuit of victory.

But beneath the chiselled abs and muscles are people who are very much like the rest of us – individuals who deal with stress and mental health issues – insists ONE Championship superstar Angela Lee. And she wants to let her fellow fighters, and athletes, know that it is okay to show weakness and ask for help.

Silver Fox black belt Danielle Kelly has made a major splash on ONE Championship’s nascent submission grappling promotion, where she’s currently riding three victories on one of the biggest combat sports stages in the world. On Friday, September 29, she’ll make history alongside old rival, AOJ black belt, and current IBJJF world champion Jessa Khan, who will battle Kelly for ONE’s first ever women’s world title in submission grappling.

On the outside, it would be easy to believe Angela Lee, 27, is one of the toughest women in the world. At just 19 years old, she secured the inaugural ONE Championship (ONE) women’s atomweight title, becoming the world’s youngest mixed martial arts (MMA) champion. She credits her fierce and competitive spirit to the family of fighters she was born into.

The Superfight between Rodtang Jitumangnon and Superlek Kiatmoo9 was one of the biggest events in Muay Thai history. Both fighters were evenly matched and put on a historical performance. However, the fight ended with Superlek gaining the victory over “The Iron Man.” The fight impressed many MMA enthusiasts, including Joe Rogan, who was blown away by the fighter’s performances.

The gym at Art of Jiu Jitsu Academy in Costa Mesa is packed on this Thursday morning, with dozens of athletes on the mat. Music from Green Day plays over the sound system, but belts of just about every color can be seen.

The song gets to the chorus, and lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong wails that “everybody is a star.” On this morning that seems to be true. One of the studio’s brightest stars, world champion Jessa Khan, seems to fit right in, though maybe her black belt gives her away.

ONE Championship founder and CEO Chatri Sityodtong had conversations about acquiring Bellator MMA, although the discussions didn’t go as far as the Professional Fighters League’s pursuit of the Paramount-owned organization.