There’s at all times one thing compelling when two heated rivals face off in opposition to each other for a bit of gold.
Such is the case between Jessa Khan and Danielle Kelly.
The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts will combat for the fitting to be referred to as the inaugural ONE atomweight submission grappling world champion at ONE Battle Evening 14 this Friday at Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Each fighters have an eerily comparable offensive strategy to their matches, with Kelly and Khan having the only intention of forcing their opponents to faucet. Though selections are nonetheless victories, each Khan and Kelly really feel {that a} tap-out is the one strategy to win in a submission grappling match.
Kelly and Khan’s assembly in Singapore is the second time they are going to face one another in a match. The primary time they bought at one another’s throats was in 2021 below the Who’s Quantity One banner.
A few years after that fateful encounter, the 2 rivals are it once more. Earlier than these submission artists meet within the city-state, Sportskeeda MMA’s ONE Championship workforce gave their knowledgeable evaluation for the upcoming world title match.
ONE Battle Evening 14 is obtainable stay and free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America.
James De Rozario: Jessa Khan by submission
Khan, extra generally often known as ‘Girl Armbar’ within the grappling realm, will pack extra than simply that on this rematch in opposition to Kelly, and it’ll be sufficient to take her throughout the end line.
Her relentless strain and tempo might unsettle Kelly, regardless of her combating inside a cage setting for the primary time. Honestly, so long as she retains the motion smack within the heart, the Cambodian-American athlete will open up her foe like a can of tuna.
That doesn’t imply that Kelly received’t chunk again when she’s being pressured from one place after one other. The Silver Fox BJJ pupil does remarkably nicely below strain as seen of their first contest.
Nevertheless, Khan’s experience to find completely different paths to a submission from guard or mount would be the distinction. Her trademark aggression might drive Kelly to surrender one thing, presumably her again. From there, the protege of the legendary Mendes brothers would make her coaches proud and bag essentially the most coveted prize in submission grappling immediately.
Mike Murillo: Danielle Kelly by submission
Admittedly, a submission grappling match is troublesome to foretell as it’s, extra so on this case between two fighters on prime of their sport for a world title.
I count on a chess match between Kelly and Khan with the previous ultimately ending up with a submission victory, presumably by rear-naked choke, late within the contest.
Kelly’s expertise combating in a ONE Championship setting – combating in a cage, having fought fighters from different disciplines and all the eye – can be a bonus for her over the debuting Khan.
She additionally has payback on her thoughts after dropping to Khan in 2021 in a match outdoors of ONE. She has been saying that she realized so much from that combat, and I count on her to return in with the wanted changes and a few.
Khan, nonetheless, is an IBJJF gold medal winner and it doesn’t depend for nothing. She’s going to pose issues for Kelly early on together with her aggressiveness however ultimately will discover herself in a bind earlier than succumbing to defeat.
Ted Razon: Jessa Khan by determination
Danielle Kelly has certainly developed into a way more formidable grappler two years faraway from that loss to Jessa Khan. Nonetheless, I believe the Cambodian-American grappler has her quantity and can pull off one other victory of their do-over.
This time, although, I count on it to be a better matchup, and I believe Kelly will even have her moments on this one.
The American’s familiarity with grappling within the circle will certainly come in useful, and I count on her to put it to use particularly in the event that they find yourself close to the cage partitions. She’ll aggressively attempt to go Khan’s guard which ought to be a lot simpler than completed.
I count on Khan to finish a technical sweep midway into the bout and exert her dominance from the highest. Whereas Khan mentioned she received’t be using her armbars this time, given Kelly’s flexibility, she will nonetheless threaten her with the joint lock and use it to say a extra dominant place.
I imagine Khan will ultimately slither her strategy to Kelly’s again and run away with extra catches from submission makes an attempt for the choice victory.
Vince Richards: Jessa Khan by determination
This assembly goes to be a grappling fan’s fever dream.
Jessa Khan and Danielle Kelly are two of the most effective feminine grapplers on the planet proper now, and their extremely aggressive combating fashion brings a special type of pleasure to their matches.
Kelly has definitely developed into one of many most interesting grapplers of this technology, however there’s simply one thing completely different about Khan.
The Cambodian-American is a prodigy in each sense of the phrase. At simply 21 years outdated, Khan already achieved world champion standing when she received the gold medal within the feminine gentle featherweight division within the 2023 IBJJ World Championships.
She additionally goes by the bone-chilling nickname ‘Girl Armbar’.
Kelly can have her moments on this match, however I count on Khan to have a solution for each offensive sequence the American launches.
This combat, although, will finally attain the judges’ scorecards, the place the win will go to Khan.