Danielle Kelly
BlackBiography
Danielle Kelly is an American Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and one of the most recognizable athletes in modern womens no-gi grappling. Known for her dangerous guard, sharp leglock entries, and well-rounded submission-oriented style, Kelly has competed against many of the top athletes in the world and earned a reputation as a constant threat in any ruleset.
Kelly spent significant training time at the famed Renzo Gracie Academy “Blue Basement,” developing her no-gi fundamentals and leglock system alongside elite grapplers. She also trains with Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu, further refining her technical guard work, wrestling sequences, and transition-heavy attacking style.
She signed with ONE Championship as a submission grappling athlete, where she quickly became one of the promotion’s most popular competitors, delivering high-action matches built around aggressive guard play, back-taking entries, and lower-body submissions. Her flexible guard, timing on leg attacks, and ability to create scrambles have made her a standout on the global stage.
With a fast-growing profile, a polished technical game, and experience across major platforms, Danielle Kelly continues to be one of the leading figures in womens no-gi grappling.
Personal
* Legend status is reserved for retired athletes with outstanding achievements and a lasting impact on the sport.
Rankings
Submissions Breakdown
| Submission | Wins | Losses |
|---|---|---|
| Kneebar | 3 | 1 |
| Rear naked | 3 | 0 |
| Straight ankle lock | 2 | 0 |
| Inside heel hook | 2 | 0 |
| Armbar | 1 | 1 |
| Toe hold | 1 | 0 |
| Doctor stoppage | 1 | 0 |
| Aoki lock | 1 | 0 |
| Rear triangle | 0 | 1 |
| Opponent | Result | Date | Event | Method | Weight | Round | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anabella Junco | Win | 11/16/2025 | ADCC Trials - East Coast North America | Decision | 55KG | — | 35 |
| Ana Mayordomo | Loss | 11/16/2025 | ADCC Trials - East Coast North America | Points: 2-0 | 55KG | Semi-Finals | — |
| Veronika Gribenko | Win | 11/16/2025 | ADCC Trials - East Coast North America | Points:4-0 | 55KG | Quarter-Finals | 35 |
| Ashley Maziol | Win | 11/16/2025 | ADCC Trials - East Coast North America | Aoki lock | 55KG | 16 | 25 |
| Paige Landry | Win | 11/16/2025 | ADCC Trials - East Coast North America | Inside heel hook | 55KG | 32 | 20 |
| Medelene Tran | Loss | 2025 | No-Gi Pans | DQ | Light Featherweight | — | — |
| Sandra Sophea Chheng | Loss | 2025 | No-Gi Pans | Unknown | Unknown | — | — |
| Mayssa Bastos | Loss | 12/7/2024 | ONE Fight Night 26 | Unanimous Decision | Atomweight | Championship | — |
| Mayssa Bastos | Loss | 8/3/2024 | ONE Fight Night 24 | Decision | Atomweight | Championship | — |
| Jessa Khan | Win | 2023 | ONE Fight Night 14 | Unanimous Decision | 115LBS | Championship | 850 |
| Ayaka Miura | Win | 2023 | ONE Fight Night 7 | Unanimous Decision | 119LBS | — | 319 |
| Mariia Molchanova | Win | 2022 | ONE on Prime Video 4 | Rear naked | 115LBS | — | 319 |
| Mei Yamaguchi | Draw | 2022 | ONE | N/A | 115LBS | — | 80 |
| Jessica Crane | Win | 2021 | WNO Championship | Inside heel hook | 115LBS | — | 225 |
| Tammi Musumeci | Loss | 2021 | WNO Championship | Armbar | 115LBS | — | — |
| Grace Gundrum | Loss | 2021 | WNO Championship | Decision | 115LBS | Quarter-Finals | — |
| Carla Esparza | Win | 2021 | CFFC BJJ 3 | Doctor stoppage | 115LBS | — | 21 |
| Cathryn Millares | Win | 2021 | CFFC BJJ 2 | Decision | 115LBS | — | 21 |
| Sofia Amarante | Win | 2021 | CFFC BJJ 1 | Rear naked | 115LBS | — | 21 |
| Alexa Yanes | Loss | 2021 | UFC FPI | Split Decision | 125LBS | — | — |
| Jessa Khan | Loss | 2021 | WNO | Decision | 115LBS | — | — |
| Jessica Crane | Win | 2021 | WNO | Kneebar | 115LBS | — | 225 |
| Nicole Sullivan | Loss | 2020 | IBJJF San Jose No-Gi | Rear triangle | 135.6LBS | Finals | — |
| Grace Gundrum | Loss | 2020 | Jiu-Jitsu Over Time | Overtime | 115LBS | — | — |
| Roxanne Modafferi | Win | 2020 | Sumision Hunter Pro 60 | Toe hold | 130LBS | — | 1 |
| Nikki Sullivan | Loss | 2019 | ADCC Trials - West Coast North America | Kneebar | -60KG | Quarter-Finals | — |
| Jessica Buchman | Win | 2019 | ADCC Trials - West Coast North America | Kneebar | -60KG | 16 | 8 |
| Alison Stiegler | Win | 2019 | ADCC Trials - West Coast North America | Rear naked | -60KG | 32 | 6 |
| Brittany Way | Win | 2019 | SubStars | Overtime | 115LBS | — | 1 |
| Cynthia Calvillo | Win | 2019 | Quintet | Straight ankle lock | 115LBS | — | 24 |
| Jillian DeCoursey | Win | 2019 | Rise Invitational 8 | Kneebar | 115LBS | — | 1 |
| Mariuxi Llaguno | Win | 2019 | JitzKing Tampa | Decision | Unknown | — | 1 |
| Rikako Yuasa | Loss | 2018 | EBI 18 | EBI Overtime | 115LBS | — | — |
| Bruna Burns | Win | 2018 | F2W 81 | Straight ankle lock | Unknown | — | 11 |
| Amanda Krammy | Win | 2018 | Rise Invitational 3 | Armbar | 125LBS | — | 1 |