Mayssa Bastos Claims Submission Grappling World Title With Thrilling Win Over Danielle Kelly

Brazilian superstar Mayssa Bastos has finally added 26 pounds of ONE Championship gold to her jam-packed trophy case that already featured nine BJJ World Titles.

On August 2 in U.S. primetime, Bastos scored a hard-fought, fast-paced decision win over American sensation Danielle Kelly to capture the ONE Women’s Atomweight Submission Grappling World Title.

That contest went down at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and showcased world-class grappling from start to finish.

Bastos spent much of the bout’s opening minutes relentlessly attacking from her vaunted open guard, inverting upside down multiple times to nearly take the defending World Champion’s back. Kelly gamely evaded the challenger’s attacks and showed an amped-up level of activity and aggression in the scrambles.

The tables turned around the match’s midpoint when Kelly scored a catch for a deep inside heel hook. In response, Bastos picked up her submission hunting, putting a frantic pace on the Philadelphia native.

With just a minute remaining, Bastos worked her way into a deep leg entanglement and nearly secured a belly-down heel hook of her own. That dangerous submission attempt earned her a catch to even the score at 1-1.

After time expired with no submission, judges awarded Bastos the unanimous decision, making her the new ONE Women’s Atomweight Submission Grappling World Champion and the first-ever Brazilian to wear ONE submission grappling gold.

Following the match, ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong awarded the new titleholder a US$50,000 performance bonus.

Now boasting a career record of 119-12 after handing Kelly her first defeat in ONE, the 26-year-old has cemented her status as the sport’s undeniable best at atomweight.