Mayssa Bastos Wins Rematch With Danielle Kelly To Retain Atomweight Submission Grappling World Title
On December 6 in U.S. primetime, Brazilian superstar Mayssa Bastos successfully defended her ONE Women’s Atomweight Submission Grappling World Title with a hard-fought, fast-paced victory over American rival Danielle Kelly at ONE Fight Night 26: Lee vs. Rasulov on Prime Video.
That bout took place in front of a packed house at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium and marked the second clash between the elite BJJ black belts.
Just like their first unforgettable meeting in August at ONE Fight Night 24, the grapplers engaged in a closely contested battle that saw each woman finding moments of success.
Bastos came out with an aggressive, physical approach, taking the top position early before securing a clean leg-drag pass directly into a dominant position. Kelly showed strong defense and scrambled out to the top, where she immediately went to work with suffocating pressure and constant guard-passing attempts of her own.
The pace didn’t slow a bit, and with less than two minutes remaining, the Brazilian turned up the intensity even more.
After looking for a front headlock attack that nearly turned into a D’Arce choke, Bastos jumped into a leg entanglement and latched onto a heel hook to score the match’s one and only catch in the dramatic final seconds.
That buzzer-beater catch earned the 27-year-old the unanimous decision win and further solidified her as the planet’s top atomweight ground fighter – and an all-time great who is only getting better.
With another monumental victory, the reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight Submission Grappling World Champion improved her career slate to an impressive 120-12.
